With Katrina
by Karibbean
Summary: #3 Sequel to Including Katrina. Complete story version of Dead Man's Chest with an original character and small twists. JackOC
1. Slumber

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** While waiting for additions to this story… please, please, please go read and review my other Pirates of the Caribbean stories! Thank you!

**Chapter 1**

**Slumber**

_It had only been a few weeks since the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow's escape from the noose. And although Commodore Norrington was in pursuit of the notorious pirate, The Black Pearl had silently made her way once again into the shallow waters near Port Royal. This time however, she kept hidden in a secret bay._

"_I have to say, Jack," the voice of Will Turner came from behind the pirate captain, "I'm impressed at how you've cleaned up for today."_

_Jack finished putting on his new black tri-corner hat and observed himself in the long mirror. It was pretty much the same attire as he normally wore, only that they were brand new and only consisted of the colors black or white. Well, that is except for his red bandana wrapped about his head under the hat._

"_Well, it is a special day, aye, Mr. Turner?" Jack finally replied turning around._

_Before Will could reply there was a knock on the cabin doors._

"_Who is it?" Jack called out._

"_Mr. Gibbs, sir," the first mate replied from the other side of the doors._

"_Come in."_

_Promptly the doors swung open and Gibbs entered the room, "Miss Elizabeth said for me to tell ye that everything's in order, captain."_

"_So we can go up and get into our positions now?" Will asked Gibbs._

"_Aye," Gibbs answered._

"_Glad to finally hear of this," Jack smiled broadly as he hurried past Gibbs, out the doors, and up the stairs._

_----------_

_Several minutes later, Jack found himself between the stairs that led to the helm staring down the opening between the two groups formed by his crew._

"_She'll be here soon, Jack," Elizabeth said gently from a few feet to his right._

_Jack quietly turned to give Elizabeth a curt nod of his head._

"_Just keep breathing," Will then said from his left._

_Jack gave a annoyed look to Will then grumbled to himself, "Why does the rum 'ave to wait 'til after the ceremony?"_

_After a few more minutes, Mr. Gibbs, who was seated on some crates to the left of Will, began to play some soft Spanish music on his acoustic guitar._

_A moment later Katrina, arm in arm with her father, appeared at the opposite end of the opening between the groups of pirates._

_As the two slowly made their way towards Jack, the pirate captain couldn't help but fall weak at the site of his bride. She was wearing a white off-the-shoulder gown that came from Spain. And she had a long white veil of the finest lace covering her face._

_When they finally met up with Jack, Judge Banks took Jack's hand and placed his daughter's hand in his._

"_I know you'll take good care of her," Mr. Banks whispered with a kind, genuine smile to Jack._

_Jack simply smiled back, having trouble looking away from Katrina, "Thank ye, sir."_

_With that, Judge Banks walked around to the other side of the couple and began the ceremony._

_----------_

_After having lifted his bride's veil to give her a kiss, Jack's crew broke out into song and dance as food and rum were brought up from below._

_However, as Jack danced with Katrina, he noticed that his surroundings became very blurry and dark._

_Suddenly a mysterious ship appeared out of nowhere alongside the Pearl. Jack could no longer hear the music nor see anyone around him save for Katrina. Within seconds a man as if in the shadows came aboard the Pearl and took Katrina away from Sparrow saying, "Times up."_

_Jack could not make out what he looked like and struggled against other shadowed men to get to Katrina. Then, before he knew it, Katrina was aboard the other ship sailing away._

----------

Jack jumped awake into a seated position in his bed, his heart pounding, beads of sweat upon his forehead. Quickly he turned his gaze to the sleeping form beside him. She was lying on her side; her peaceful face towards him, her dark hair sprawled over the pillow behind her, the diamond ring he had given her on the hand that lay by her sweet face. Nothing bad had happened; she was still with him.

"I knew that day 'ad a happy endin'…" the pirate captain sighed as he rubbed his head with his hands, "It was just a nightmare. Now if only I knew what that blasted thing looked like I could get on with findin' what I need to conclude this deal once and for all."

Jack immediately quieted himself as Katrina began to stir in her sleep reaching out to him. The pirate captain gently laid back down. Taking Katrina's hand in his, he laid it on his chest and then wrapped his other hand around her waist to pull her closer to him. Things would work out, he knew, even if time was indeed running out.


	2. The Prize

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 2**

**The Prize**

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest… yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum," Gibbs sang before taking a good gulp from his rum bottle.

"Wouldn't it be best if you were sober when Jack returned?" approached a woman from his left. "For I'm sure he'll be in a hurry to make weigh."

Gibbs lowered the bottle from his lips to look at the lady of long black hair wearing Jack's coat.

"Per'aps, Mrs. Sparrow," Gibbs grinned. "But I've got t' keep meself occupied wi' somethin' till his return, aye?"

The woman rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep from breaking a smile at the first mate. "Aye."

Gibbs saluted her before taking another swig of the liquor.

"I wonder what's taking Jack so long?" she thought aloud before pacing to the railing to look over at the gloomy island. Being in the Mediterranean Sea was so different than the Caribbean.

"I'm sure he's fine, Katrina," Gibbs said as he took to her side. "Ye know Jack."

The captain's wife couldn't help but to smile brightly at this true fact. She then pulled out a spyglass and aimed it towards the Turkish prison.

After several moments of focusing on the eerie bridge and high points of the mountainous island, Katrina focused the spyglass on some men throwing out coffins to the sea.

After several more minutes, Katrina gave a sigh in annoyance as she lowered the spyglass.

"Honestly, Jack," she huffed.

At that moment a gunshot broke the silence. Katrina immediately held up the spyglass once again. In seconds she found where the gunshot had come from… none other than Captain Jack Sparrow himself! He was sitting up in a coffin and was pulling out a leg of the original dweller.

"It's Jack!" Katrina chimed to Gibbs and the crew. "He's headed this way! Be ready to help him aboard!"

Minutes later Gibbs helped Jack board the Pearl, though gripped the bone leg Jack used for rowing instead of the captain's hand.

"Not quite according to plan?" Gibbs asked as Jack made himself present on the main deck.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack stated simply.

"And so you got what you went in for, Jack?" Katrina asked stepping toward the pirate captain.

Jack's face lit up in a sly smile as he looked to the woman wearing his coat.

"Now how many times, Katrina, 'ave I told ye that I don't like ye wearin' those baggy clothes. They don't flatter you at all." At this he paused as he grabbed Katrina around the waist and pulled her close to him to whisper in her ear suggestively, "I believe I 'ave mentioned to you that it ought t' be a dress or nothin' at all. And ye know that there happens to be no dress in our cabin."

"On the contrary, Captain Sparrow," Katrina whispered back. "For I distinctly remember a dear husband of mine having bought a few dresses for his dear wife which are in fact located in said cabin."

Jack laughed to himself at this before giving her a sweet kiss. "Well, in either case, love, I don't care for such a beautiful body to be wrapped in loose clothing. For you, m'lady, the clothing should fit most snuggly."

Pulling slightly back, Katrina shed off Jack's coat, revealing an outfit that very much agreed to what Sparrow had just mentioned.

"So this won't do for you?" Katrina teased as she handed Jack his coat.

Jack slowly took back the coat as his eyes wondered all over his wife. Tall black boots, tight black britches, a gray bustier overlaying a billowing white blouse with a red sash tied at the waist, the pearl necklace he gave her nearly two years ago, and two large gold hoop earrings.

"No, love," Jack said as his eyes drank in all of her. "That'll do just fine."

Katrina smirked at this. "I thought so. Now, Jack, what is it that you got?"

"Hmm?" Jack asked as he was prodded out of other thoughts. "Oh, right."

With that, Jack turned back to the crew and held up a small rolled up piece of cloth. "This be what I 'ave found!"

The crew looked on disappointed.

"Uh, captain," Gibbs hesitantly began. "I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expectin' somethin' a bit more… shiny. What with Isla de Muerta goin' all pear shaped, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it…"

"…and the Royal Navy chasin' us all around the Atlantic," pointed out another crew member by the name of Leech.

"And the hurricane!" added Marty.

"Aye," the crew agreed.

"All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating."

"So is that how you're feeling, then?" Jack asked his crew. "Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your interests as captain?"

The crew remained silent, shifting uncomfortably under Sparrow's gaze for a long moment until Mr. Cotton's parrot spoke up. "Awk! Walk the plank!"

Mr. Cotton immediately covered the bird's beak with his hand as Jack pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the parrot. "What did the bird say?"

"Never mind the bird, Jack," Katrina intervened as she stepped between Jack and Mr. Cotton, crossing her arms. "Just tell us what exactly it is that you hold in your hand and it means as far as obtaining something of value."

"Aye," the crew concurred with Katrina.

"Ah," Jack said smoothly as he put his gun away and held up the cloth again. "But I haven't had time t' properly assess the prize."

Just as Katrina narrowed her eyes on Sparrow, Barbossa's little cursed monkey appeared. It jumped onto Jack and took the piece of cloth from his hand. It then jumped onto the deck and tried running away.

Jack quickly drew out his pistol again.

"Ye know that don't do any good," Gibbs said, watching Jack point the gun at the monkey.

"It does me. Keeps me aim sharp," Jack replied as he took a shot at the horrid little creature.

The bullet just missed the monkey, but scared it enough that it dropped the piece of cloth.

"Why did that little monster have to be the only thing to survive Isla de Muerta?" Jack grumbled as Marty took up the cloth and examined it.

"It's a key," the pirate informed the rest of the crew.

"No! Much more better," Jack proclaimed as he took up the cloth and showed it to his crew. "It is a drawing of a key."

The crew looked at Jack confused. Katrina, however, brought a hand to her forehead.

"Gentlemen," Jack began before adding quickly, "and m'lady, what do keys do?"

"Keys… unlock… things?" one pirate called out.

"Yes, and…" Jack tried to push his crew into thinking some more.

"And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's somethin' valuable… somethin' shiny," Gibbs added excitedly before concluding, "So, we're settin' out to find whatever this unlocks!"

"No," Jack shook his head. "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key that unlocks it?"

Gibbs looked confused for a moment as he tried to register what Jack had just said, "So, we're goin' to find this key?"

"You're not making any sense at all," Jack sighed shaking his head. "Any more questions?"

Yet before he could say another word, Katrina called out to him, "So do we have a heading?"

As Jack brought his attention to Katrina, who stood opposite of him with the doors to the cabin behind her, his mind conjured up an odd, yet all too-familiar depiction. There before him he saw Katrina standing in front of a small, inviting house by the sea. Though it only lasted a second or two at most, it stirred something within him.

"No, not again!" Jack whined to himself.

"What was that?" Katrina asked. "Do you have a heading as to where we need to sail next in order to find this key?"

Jack quickly shook what he thought he saw out of his mind and instead smiled at his wife as he pulled out his compass. "Hah! A heading!"

However, upon opening the compass Jack found it hard to receive a heading. The arrow pointed first at Katrina, then in the opposite direction, then at the island he had just come from, then back at Katrina, then finally came to a shaky stop pointing out to his right.

"So which way, captain?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh, set sail in a… mmm…a general…" Jack still eyed the compass unsure before snapping it closed and pointing out to his right. "That way direction."

Gibbs looked to Katrina with uncertainty before turning to Jack, "Captain?"

"Come on," Jack ordered to the crew. "Snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Come on. Oi, oi… oi!"

Placing the compass back on his person, Jack headed to his cabin, Katrina not far behind him.

"Have you noticed lately," Marty began as he and Gibbs watched the doors of the captain's quarters shut. "The captain seems to be actin' a bit strange… -er?"

Gibbs gave a sigh. "Settin' sail without knowin' his own headin'? Somethin's got Jack vexed. Mark my word, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow bodes ill for us all."


	3. Vexed

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 3**

**Vexed**

"Is everything all right?" Katrina turned to Jack once they were alone in their cabin.

"O' course, darlin'," Jack said as he made his way to his desk, taking up a bottle of rum from a nearby table. "Why d' ye ask?"

"Well, it just seemed you were having a problem in giving a heading. Is your compass not working?"

Jack looked up from taking a big swig of the rum.

"Uh, my compass works fine," Jack replied a bit defensively.

With a flirtatious smile playing at her lips, Katrina leaned forward across the desk causing Jack to eye with great interest where the black pearl lay as it hung from her neck.

"I know that your compass works."

"Uh-huh," was all that Jack managed to mumble as his eyes remained on the black pearl and its luscious surroundings.

"Has something taken… your interest, Captain?"

"Hmm… what?" Jack shook his head before looking up at his wife. "Nothin', love, was just enjoyin' the view. Although, I must ask, darlin'… 'ave they always been _that_ big? Ye know, bigger than usual. Ye almost seem t' be fallin' out o' your clothes there. Not that I mind, o' course. Rather nice, actually."

Katrina couldn't help in rolling her eyes in slight annoyance as she straightened up her stance. "Jack, I pointed that out to you a week ago."

Jack thought to himself for a moment. "Aye, that's right… while we were in Morocco, aye?"

"Yes. This is nothing new, Jack. That's why I've been wearing your old clothes for the past week."

"T' hide these from me sight? Tis a shame t' do somethin' so cruel to your husband, love."

"To be fair, you wouldn't let me hide when it came to going to bed."

Jack grinned. "As it should be… always… including during the day."

Katrina gave Jack a smirk. "Yes, well… it's hard to feel beautiful and flaunt myself around when the original tight clothing you purchased for me stopped fitting properly."

"Nonsense, Katrina," Jack waved a hand. "Your clothes ne'er stopped fitting properly."

Katrina shook her head. "Jack, my breasts were always on the verge of pouring out and my bodices ready to burst at the seams."

Jack, momentarily putting down his bottle of rum, walked around his desk and strongly took Katrina around the waist to bring her to him. "Ye say that like it's a bad thing, love," Jack whispered in her ear as one of his hands slid down to grasp her rear causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Well, it wouldn't be," Katrina managed to whisper back as she pressed herself closer to Jack, "if it weren't for the fact that I have duties to perform on this ship."

"The most important o' those," Jack immediately spoke up, "bein' t' attend t' your loving husband's e'ery need and desire, aye?"

Katrina gave her husband a smirk as her hands went to his belt. However, different to what he was eagerly expecting, Katrina didn't solely undo the belt but then redid it by tightening it quite a bit. "Aye." She then slid out of his embrace. "But none of that will be taken cared of outside this room. That is why I need clothes that allow me to move and breathe."

Jack hurried to readjust his belt. "But like I said, love," he remarked as he looked his wife up and down. "They ne'er stopped fittin' properly."

"Jack," Katrina crossed her arms over her chest. "The reason these clothes fit me somewhat better is because they're a bit bigger… they're new… I just bought them yesterday while we were in the market place."

Jack's brows came together for a split moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "Trifles."

"Well," Katrina began as she pulled further away from her husband, stifling a yawn, "believe in what you want… and while you go about in convincing yourself that you're right… or decide to change the topic in your mind back over to the important fact that your compass didn't work out there… I'm getting ready for bed."

Jack merely grunted in reply as he grabbed the bottle on his desk and downed another swig of rum. He then turned to his bookshelves to begin pulling out maps and charts.

Katrina, on the other hand, ignored her husband's form of reply as she made way to her dresser and pulled out a silk nightgown. She then entered the small bathroom that connected to their cabin.

"Says my compass doesn't work," Jack grumbled after Katrina had shut the door. "Hmph, o' course it does!"

Jack finally got settled with a particular map and sat down before it. Taking a gulp of the alcohol at hand while eyeing the unfolded drawing of particular key, he placed his compass on his desk and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. A moment later he opened his eyes and the compass. The arrow pointed straight to his right.

"Ah-hah!" Jack cried out triumphantly to himself. "See, it does work!"

As he began marking out on his map, Katrina opened the bathroom door.

"Mustn't look at 'er," Jack thought strongly to himself. "The key. Where's the key?"

Jack's self-talk didn't work all too well in the end. Eventually he found himself looking up at Katrina and realized that she was right – her clothes, even this particular golden nightgown, seemed a bit more snug than usual. As he watched her wash her face in the basin, something caught his eye near her feet.

"What's this now?" Jack thought as he saw what appeared to be a little dark-haired boy sitting at Katrina's feet playing with a wooden, toy boat. "Where did he come from?"

As fast as the image of the boy appeared it disappeared. Jack found himself staring at Katrina's former attire bundled in a pile at her feet.

Jack shook his head. "I'm doing it again! Must stop!"

"Did you say something,_ corazon_?" Katrina called out from the bathroom, having finished drying her face.

"Hmm?" Jack answered hurriedly. "No, nothin'."

Katrina gave him a quizzical look before throwing her day's clothes to the hamper basket at the side and stepping out of the bathroom. She then walked over to her vanity.

The longer he stared at his wife the more hardened he became. "Not now, Jacky," he murmured under his breath as he tried shaking his head to refocus.

This did not do much as he went on watching Katrina take a seat at her vanity and begin detangling her hair.

"Ah," Jack thought to himself again. "Let's focus on the hair… love that hair. So rich… so dark… so-"

The pirate captain's chain of thoughts ended abruptly as he found himself seeing a tiny girl with the same kind of hair to the left of Katrina. She was on her very tip-toes with a comb in her hand trying to brush Katrina's hair. Jack found it quite humorous how the little girl was trying so hard to help Katrina.

"What's so amusing?" Katrina broke the trance Jack was in; apparently he was laughing out loud.

Jack blinked and found that what he was staring at was actually Katrina's robe dangling off the side of the chair she sat in.

"Nothing," Jack did his best to play off his laugh. "Just a repeating, silly thought came t' me mind. No worries, love."

Katrina didn't say a word and instead continued to brush through her hair. As she did so, Jack made a desperate attempt to turn back to what he was originally doing. However, to his dismay as he touched the compass, its arrow repositioned itself to point at Katrina.

"No, no, no, no," Jack groaned quietly to himself. "I'm not vexed! Honestly! I'm really not vexed!"

Jack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes once again to refocus. After a few minutes of concentration, Jack tapped at his compass. The arrow changed to point to his left, then at himself, back to the left, and then shakily over to the right. However, as Jack was about to start mapping out on the chart before him, the arrow made a final halt pointing at Katrina, who was now pulling back the red and black damask covers of their bed.

"Bloody compass," Jack sighed with frustration, as he tried tapping it again.

This time the compass' arrow pointed first over at the cabin doors, then to the bathroom door, then over at Katrina's vanity, and finally stopped at Katrina herself.

"No! Not now!" Jack argued in his head. "That'll come soon enough! All in good time! But this must be dealt with first! Where's the key? I promise. What I really want right now is the key!"

Jack took a deep breath and took up the compass in his hand. The arrow pointed at Katrina, then over at the windows, then somewhere to his left, before shakily pointing to his right again. Well, that is it pointed right longer than any direction before pointing back at Katrina.

"Jack?" Katrina called out as she slowly made her way to the pirate captain. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

Jack simply shook his head in the negative as he put the compass on his desk and tapped it once again in hope to get a true heading.

"Oh, Jack, it's so late," Katrina said, walking around to the back of Jack's chair and placing her hands around his neck as she rested her chin on his shoulder, taking in a big yawn. "Why don't you give this up for the night and come to bed? Aren't you tired? You've had rather a trying day."

Though he wanted badly to continue to chart out the Pearl's course, Jack knew that his wife was right. He was not only giving in for the night because he was tired, but also because he had lost all focus. With his mind torn between two things he wanted most, the compass was most likely to continue failing him.

"Aye, love, I am a bit tired."

"Then let's get to bed, _corazon_," Katrina said sweetly before planting a kiss to Jack's cheek. "You can work on this in the morning."

Jack merely nodded in agreement before turning his head to the side to give a real kiss to Katrina's lips. Though he may have set out to give his wife a simple kiss, Katrina didn't let go of him quite so easily as she teased him with an invitation to explore her mouth. Jack, as the loving husband he was, obliged to his wife's beckoning.

As their heated kissing grew, Katrina slowly made her way around to the front of the pirate captain. Still not willing to let go of him, Katrina pulled up her nightgown and took up a straddled position in Jack's lap.

"Thought you were tired, love," Jack teased between the madness of kissing.

"And…?" Katrina said as Jack released her lips to kiss his way down to her bosom.

Jack stopped kissing and looked up at Katrina with confusion. Usually if she was tired, as she obviously was, she was a closed book for the night.

"What?" Katrina asked innocently. "You're tired,too… yet here you remain."

"Well, love," Jack chuckled as he began kissing her along her collarbone again. "It's a bit hard… to do anythin' with… ye on top… o' me like this."

Katrina's hands swiftly pushed Jack away. "What? I'm too heavy to be carried to the bed?"

"No, love, not at all. I was just teasin' ye."

"I knew it," Katrina said shortly as she folded her arms.

Jack blinked. "Knew what?"

"That you have noticed I've gained weight--"

Jack put a finger to his wife's lips. "Now that's enough o' that," the pirate said seriously. "We're 'appy and comfortable wi' each other. We're the kind that eat a bit more when we're like that. Aye?"

"Yes… wait, 'we'?"

"Aye, 'we.' I'm more than sure I've gained weight, too, love. It's just not noticeable wi' me 'cause I don't wear gorgeous tight clothes like m'lady."

Katrina cracked half a smile.

"And besides, can't help that your cooking is so good that second and third helpin's are bound t' happen. Makes me think now the whole crew's sure to be far heavier than usual 'cause they're eatin' so good. So…" Jack paused as he easily hoisted Katrina up in his arms as he stood from the chair, "let's not worry 'bout this no more, savvy?"

With the surprise of being lifted up, Katrina wrapped her arms and legs around her husband as her lips parted to reveal a full, happy grin. "Aye, Captain Sparrow."

"That's me girl," Jack replied as he came to their bed. Then, rather than lower her down onto the bed, he gave her one of his suspicious, though charming, smirks.

"What?"

"I don't know why ye bother wi' these nightgowns."


	4. The Emissary

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** Please review! Thank you!

**Chapter 4**

**The Emissary**

After retrieving the cloth that showed what the key looked like, Jack found the long journey out of the Mediterranean Sea, through the Atlantic Ocean, and into the Caribbean uneventful. The pirate captain, however, did continue to fight with his compass as his mind not only fought against his heart in what he wanted most.

----------

From the time the Black Pearl returned to the Caribbean waters, Jack's frustration with his compass became worse.

"Any luck, _corazon_?" Katrina asked her husband late one night as he continued to strive for direction to chart on his map.

"No," Jack grumbled as he lifted his rum bottle to his mouth for a drink only to be disappointed. "Why is the rum always gone?"

Slowly Jack stood up from his chair and began walking toward the cabin doors, swaying as he did so. "Oh, that's why."

Katrina couldn't help at allowing a giggle to escape from her lips. Jack turned to her with a crooked smile.

"Must you go for more rum and continue this tonight?" Katrina asked as she came up to him.

"Aye," Jack replied, wrapping his arms around his wife. "This is a very important mission, love."

"Very well," Katrina said as she gave Jack a long, teasing kiss and began to pull away. "Just be quick. The sooner you're finished the sooner you're in _bed_… Savvy?"

"Hmm," Jack replied as he found himself torn between getting more rum and sitting back at his desk or going straight to bed… to being with his wife.

Katrina gave him a look just as teasing as her kiss as she backed up to the bed in her black lace nightgown.

For a fleeting moment Jack froze, for once again he saw Katrina standing in front of a small house by the sea.

"Need rum and that key first!" Jack yelled in his mind.

Katrina pouted as she saw that her invitation wasn't successful. Though he didn't seem capable of movement for that moment of time, Jack swaggered hurriedly over to the doors and opened one of them.

"Do be careful," Katrina tried not to laugh, as it was obvious the man had plenty of rum already.

"Always am, love," Jack smirked at her before heading out the door, doing his best to shake off the familiar image.

----------

Jack quietly made his way down through the crew's barracks, lit lamp in hand, and down again to the cargo hold. Once there, he took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door that led to rum storage.

With a small smile for having reached the provisions he needed, he walked further into the room and grabbed the first bottle he saw. To his distress, the bottle was uncorked. And so as he turned it upside down, sand poured out from it.

"Time's run out, Jack," a voice broke the silence from the shadows before him.

At hearing this, Jack dropped the bottle and held up his lamp toward the shadows.

"Bootstrap?" Jack asked in surprise, looking at the worn and wet man before him, "Bill Turner?"

"You look good," Bill replied.

Jack eyed what he thought was a long-gone friend of his for a moment, unsure of what to make of his appearance. "Is this a dream?"

"No," Bootstrap answered flatly.

"I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum."

Bootstrap gave a weak smile at this and held out a hand holding a bottle.

Jack gently took the bottle from him.

"You got the Pearl back, I see," Bill said looking around the small room.

"I had some help in retrieving the Pearl, by the way," Jack explained as he blew off the dust at the lip of the bottle. "Your son."

"William?" Bootstrap looked back at Sparrow stunned. "He ended up a pirate, after all."

Jack nodded at this before adding, "He's got an unhealthy streak of honesty to him."

"That's somethin' then," Bootstrap said quietly. "Though no credit to me."

As the room fell silent, Bill deep in thought, a small voice called out from behind Jack.

Jack looked over his shoulder anxiously, knowing it was Katrina.

"Wait. I'll be right there," Jack hissed back to her as she stepped into the room wrapped in her robe.

"What's taking you so--" Katrina came to an abrupt stop as she saw the man on the other side of Jack. She instinctively pulled her black robe tighter against her body.

"I'm a bit busy, darlin'," Jack said to her through clenched teeth as Bill seemed to slowly pull out of his thoughts.

"And who be this lass, Jack?" Bill asked curiously at the lady standing at Sparrow's right side.

"Who? Her?" Jack waved off. "Just Gibbs' aunt's cousin's niece twice removed… a stowaway."

Katrina eyed Jack suspiciously.

"Oh," Bootstrap smiled knowingly. "So the rumors o' ye bein' a married man aren't true."

Katrina couldn't help but smirk at Jack after hearing what Bill had said.

"Aye," Jack tried to lie but swayed uneasily under Bootstraps' gaze. "Actually, mate, the rumors are true."

"And I thought I'd never see the day," Bill chuckled to himself.

Taking Katrina by the hand, Jack introduced her to Bill.

After having introduced his wife, Jack spoke up again, "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?"

"He sent me," Bill replied as he focused on Jack.

"Who?" Jack couldn't help to ask.

"Davy Jones."

"Ah, so it's you then," Jack began having known this was bound to come. "He shanghaied you into service then."

"I chose it," Bill corrected Jack. "I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you, Jack. I stood up for you. Everything went wrong after that."

Jack involuntarily shuddered at the thought of being in Bill's situation.

"They strapped me to a cannon," Bootstrap continued. "I ended up on the bottom of the ocean, weight of the water crushing down on me, unable to move, unable to die, Jack. And I thought that even the tiniest hope of escaping this fate, I would take it. I would trade anything for it."

"That is the kind o' thinking bound to catch _his_ attention," Jack said knowingly.

"It did. Davy Jones came. Made the offer. I could spend one hundred years before his mast, with the hope that after, I would go on to a peaceful rest."

"It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment--"

"You made a deal with him, too, Jack," Bill cut Sparrow off, "He raised the Pearl from the depths for you. Thirteen years you've been her captain."

"Technically…" Jack tried to clarify, but Bootstrap interjected.

"Jack! You won't be able to talk your way out of this. The terms: what applied to me, apply to you, as well. One soul, bound to crew a hundred years aboard his ship."

Hearing this, Katrina took hold of Jack's right upper arm with her right hand, her left hand finding its way into his right hand.

Jack hurriedly tried to play the whole thing off. "Yes, but the Flying Dutchman already has a captain. So, there's no need of me--"

"Well then it's the locker for you!" Bill snapped. "Jones' terrible leviathan will find you, and drag the Pearl back to the depths… and you along with it."

"Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?" Jack asked as calm as he could.

"I already told you, Jack. Time is up. He comes now, drawn with ravenous hunger, to the man what bears… the black spot."

With that said, Bootstrap Bill clasped his hand onto Jack's left hand. A second later he released it.

Jack worriedly looked down at his hand. At the center of his palm appeared the cursed black spot.

By the time Jack had removed his gaze from his hand back up, Bill was gone.

"Jack," Katrina whined fearfully. "What's going on? You never told me you made a deal to get the Pearl all those years ago."

"It's a long story, love," Jack breathed shakily before turning and pulling Katrina into a run as they rushed up to the crew's barracks.

"On deck all hands!" Sparrow shouted at the top of his lungs at his sleeping crew. "Make fast the bunt gasket! On deck! Scurry! Scurry, I want movement!"

As Jack and Katrina reached the top deck, Jack continued shouting at the few crew members that were about.

"All on deck!" he yelled as he pointed at the Pearl's black sails. "Run! And keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!"

The crew hurried about the ship following orders. As they did so, Jack took up a long piece of cloth and tied it around his hand to cover up his mark.

After being distracted with following orders, Gibbs found Jack holding on tight to Katrina behind the mast.

"Do we have a heading?" Gibbs asked his captain.

"Land!" Jack rapidly shouted back.

"What port?"

"Didn't say port! I said land! Any land!"

Just as Jack turned to head to his cabin, Barbossa's cursed monkey jumped from the rigging onto Jack's shoulder and knocked Sparrow's hat overboard.

"Jack's hat!" Gibbs cried out to the crew knowing how much Jack loved that tri-corner hat. "Bring 'er about!"

"No!" Jack quickly yelled out. "Leave it!"

As Jack took hold of Katrina and scurried away, the crew stood dumbfounded at what just happened.

"Back to your stations, the lot o' ya!" Gibbs finally called out over the silence.

The crew swiftly took off again to follow Gibbs' orders.

After a moment, Gibbs turned around to look for Jack. He found the pirate captain gripping tight around his wife's waist, his head pressed against her chest, eyes tightly shut as he mumbled to himself in a whiny voice.

"For the love of mother and child, Jack," Gibbs cried to Sparrow in desperation as Katrina shook her head at him pleadingly. "What's comin' after us?"

"Nothing."


	5. The Past

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** Enjoy and review!

**Chapter 5**

**The Past**

Despite having Jack securely holding her in place under one of the staircases that led to the helm, Katrina managed to speak to the first mate. "Give me a minute with him, Mr. Gibbs," she breathed as she began to shuffle Jack toward their cabin, "then I'll give you some answers."

Gibbs nodded before taking off to join the crew in getting the Pearl to the nearest island.

----------

Once in the safety of being behind closed doors, Katrina pinched the underside of Jack's left arm.

"Ow!" Jack jumped, releasing Katrina. "What was that for?"

"You need to start telling me the truth, Jack Sparrow!" Katrina yelled, a fisted left hand on her hip and the index finger of her right hand a mere half-inch away from Jack's nose. "Who was that man down there? What deal did you make?"

"It was a long time ago, love."

"Don't you try to talk your way out of this with me. I'm not one of your half-brained drinking mates from Tortuga. You can't fool me, Jack."

Jack sighed. "But, love, it was really a long time ago--"

"And yet concerns us now! Start explaining!"

"All right! All right! Just calm down, love!"

Katrina arched a brow at him and began to open her mouth to comment.

"Ye want me t' explain or not?"

She shut her mouth.

"Look," Jack began, a hand rubbing his forehead, "years ago when I was a young lad I 'ad the daft idea t' be somethin' better than a pirate – t' be somethin' better than me dad – so I joined the Navy. All was goin' well… saiin' all o'er the world and climbin' in ranks. Then after a while o' bein' commander I was sent to help the East India Trading Company."

Katrina's mouth dropped open. "So you were telling the truth when we had that big fight?"

"What big fight?"

"The fight in which you threatened you'd leave me forever. You mentioned something about being a true gentleman for some time before turning pirate…" Katrina's voice faded in thought before she snapped her fingers and added, "And you did mention about working for the East India Trading Company while we were in Tortuga planning out to set course to go after…"

"O' course I was tellin' the truth."

As Jack replied, Katrina hurried to his desk and held up the cloth depicting a key. "This is the key we need to find that can open the chest with the treasure that can save our future? The treasure you said had a time limit?"

"Well, if you'd let me finish," Jack huffed. Katrina dropped the cloth, giving her full attention to her husband. "Rather than continue to protect the home front in England and accompany rare voyages to the colonies, I was promoted to be captain for the EITC. My ship was a merchant vessel, the Wicked Wench. I worked on behalf of Cutler Beckett."

"Who?"

"A horrible man. I did a lot o' work for him, but in the end he wanted me t' transport slaves. I couldn't do it, love. I wouldn't let his men load those poor people onto me ship. I forced the ship out to sea. It wasn't long 'til the bastard caught up t' me."

"What happened?"

"Beckett's men took me captive. They then scorched me ship while Beckett branded me arm. I had t' watch 'er burn down t' the bottom o' the ocean."

"But you escaped."

"Aye. I broke out o' me cell, stole one o' the longboats, and was lost t' sea." Jack paused to take a deep breath. "That's where he found me."

"Who?"

"Davy Jones."

"The Davy Jones?" Katrina looked at Jack in disbelief. "You mean the old sea legends are true, too?"

"I'm afraid so, love. He found me adrift runnin' low on food and water. Asked me t' make a deal: be killed on the spot in order to no longer suffer or join his crew to work b'fore the mast a hundred years."

Katrina shook her head, confused.

"Naturally, neither 'appened."

"But… how?"

"Thought ye knew me better than that, love. In fact, you were the one that didn't let me talk me way out o' this conversation."

"Ah," Katrina acknowledged, mirroring Jack's grin. "Of course you talked your way out this deal. Naturally. And yet, according to our visitor, you did make a deal with Jones. What was the deal?"

"The deal, darlin', was that I would join Jones' crew in exchange for me resurrected ship and being captain of said ship for thirteen years."

"Only one year left…" Katrina whispered, her eyes momentarily glazed over.

"Which is comin' to a close."

Katrina blinked a few times before focusing again on Jack. "Davy Jones is coming after us?"

"Jones?" Jack laughed humorlessly. "No. Not yet."

"Then why are we hurrying to land?"

"Oh, darlin'," Jack sighed sadly, worriedly. "Have ye ever 'eard o' the Kraken?"


	6. Chief Sparrow

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 6**

**Chief Sparrow**

Still having trouble sleeping the past couple of nights since seeing Bootstrap Bill, Jack lay awake watching as the sun's light seeped out from the edges of the curtains in his cabin. His mind was still racing on what to do with the little time he had before the sea monster found him. How was he supposed to get hold of the key? How was he supposed to bring this ordeal with Jones to an end?

As he continued to ponder urgently, his wife at his side began to stir awake.

"Jack," she said softly as she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her.

"Did ye sleep well, love?" the pirate asked before giving her a loving kiss.

"A bit," Katrina replied. She then brought her hand gently to her husband's face. "But did you ever succumb to sleep?"

Jack removed Katrina's hand from this side of his face and instead brought it to his lips. "Don't worry 'bout me, love."

"Jack," Katrina began as she sat up.

"Shh… no worries, love."

As Katrina looked down at her husband with concern, a slight sickening feeling came about her stomach.

"Oh, love," Jack said with distress as he dropped his wife's hand from his lips. He immediately recognized the change in her facial expression.

Katrina brought her free hand to her stomach. "I hate this feeling," she whined.

"I know. I'm sorry, love. I wish I could make it go away."

Before Katrina could say a word back to her husband, the pain increased a bit and she ended up bringing the hand that was within Jack's grasp to wrap around herself, too. Then after a few seconds in a bent over position with Jack rubbing her back, Katrina got up slowly from the bed and walked over the adjoining bathroom.

"Do ye feel that you're stomach will finally let up this time 'round, darlin'?" Jack called from the bed.

"I don't know," Katrina replied as she hovered over a bucket, anticipating the worse. "I hate this, Jack. Nothing ever happens… but I feel absolutely awful."

Thankful that she could not see him from where she stood in the bathroom, Jack's face dropped into a frown. To top off the struggles he had been having the past couple of months with his mission to resolve his debt with Jones was this new odd sickness that came about his wife from out of the blue. Well, at least that's what he believed it to be despite his wife's protests to be the incoming waves of what would eventually be her time of the month; she simply didn't have such bothersome symptoms, at least, not that he could recall. Perhaps he didn't pay much attention before, and now that their lives were in danger everything – every little thing – suddenly mattered.

Several minutes past, but Katrina never vomited. The pain in her stomach eventually subsided and so she returned to the bed next to Jack.

"Feelin' a bit better, love?" the pirate captain asked as Katrina lied back down under the covers.

"Yes, I suppose," Katrina sighed sadly before snuggling up to Jack, the glint of a tear in her eyes. "I just wish I didn't have to feel so nauseous." She paused as gave into a much needed yawn. "It's bad enough my whole body aches."

"Don't worry, love," Jack began, not really sure as what to say and he tried to focus instead on combing his hands through his wife's long, ebony curls. "It'll all be o'er soon."

Jack now found himself lost in thoughts about Katrina's health as he watched her fall back asleep. And it was as he began to wonder how life suddenly got so complicated that he heard the shout from the crow's nest that land had been spotted.

"Finally," he breathed.

----------

After breaking away from Katrina and putting on clothes, Jack stepped out of the cabin in search of his first mate.

"Master Gibbs," he called as he ran up the stairs to the helm. "Where are we?"

"The island o' Pelegosto, captain."

"That so?"

"Aye, captain. In fact, there's many o' them now on shore."

Jack made an effort to smile. "No other land close enough, eh?"

"No, Jack."

Jack sighed. "Well… no worries then."

Continuing on in a hurry, Jack left Gibbs to return to his cabin.

"What's going on?" Katrina asked the moment the pirate shut the door behind him.

"We've reached land," Jack replied before eyeing more closely his wife sitting up, holding the bedsheets to her body. "I need ye t' get dressed."

Katrina rolled her eyes. "Well, of course, Jack."

"No, no, wait," Jack grumbled. "Ye can't wear anything ye've got 'ere."

"What?" Katrina looked at him perplexed. "What do you mean? What then am I supposed to wear?"

"Something… something me slave would wear…" Jack stopped speaking as his eyes landed on the large animal skin rug he was standing on. "This'll work." He then looked back up to his wife. "C'mere, love."

"What was that about a slave?"

"I'm goin' t' make ye look like me slave."

"What--why?"

Jack pulled up the rug. "Because… we've arrived at Pelegosto."

"Are these the natives that made you their chief?"

"Aye," Jack answered as he took out a dagger. "Now c'mere so I can cut this right."

Obligingly, Katrina forced herself out of bed to where Jack stood.

"Don't move."

Katrina merely nodded as the pirate captain began to work, trying out different lengths for a skirt in comparison to the nightgown she had on before tearing through the skin. When he finished cutting out the needed pieces he called on Gibbs to have one of the sailors who helped stitch up the sails, sew them up.

"Why didn't you just let me sew?"

"Darlin', Marty's much faster than you."

"We're reaching land, Jack. What big hurry is there?"

"The Pelegostos are waitin' for us, love. Gibbs spotted them gatherin' on the beach."

"And…?"

"And that means I must present meself fully in chief attire – including you – or they may kill us."

"Kill us? But why would--"

"They're cannibals, love."

"Cannibals?"

"Aye. Which reminds me: I need t' see if me chief hat is still 'round 'ere."

Suddenly anxious at what was to come, Katrina swiftly took a seat on their bed while Jack began rummaging through his armoire. However, after a few minutes, she found herself running to the adjoining bathroom with a fearful nauseous stomach.

'There ye are!" Jack finally announced as he pulled away from his armoire triumphantly with a large, odd hat. "Ye see, love," he started as he turned around. "I'll be havin' t' wear this--" Jack stopped as he looked around for his wife. "Katrina?"

"In here."

Jack turned to find his wife seated on the edge of the tub; one arm holding a bucket, the other wrapped over her stomach.

"Still feelin' bad, love?" Jack asked gently as he approached the open doorway of the bathroom.

"I don't know," Katrina exhaled. "I think it was more to do with nerves than anything else." She paused for a moment before looking up at Jack. "How are we any safer on land?"

"I know it don't sound great that these natives are cannibals, but you're missin' an important point 'ere, love."

"What's that?"

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. And, I'm their chief. Whatever I say goes."

"Truly?"

"O' course, love. What else would it mean t' be chief?"

As Jack bent down to kiss Katrina on the forehead, knocking came from the front doors.

"Mrs. Sparrow's attire 'as been finished, captain," Gibbs declared just as Jack opened one of the doors. Jack merely grinned as he took up the wardrobe and shut the door again.

"Here, love," Jack said as he exchanged Katrina's empty bucket for the newly sewn clothes. "Put this on."

"But, Jack," Katrina began to whine, still having an arm wrapped over her stomach.

"Darlin'," Jack said as he pitched the empty bucket upside down. "You're fine. Now, put these on. I'll go get me hat. Oh! Need t' get me scepter, too."

----------

"Oi!" Jack greeted the wild natives when he finally arrived on the sand; crowned with the large chief hat made of bones and feathers, in his left hand the feather scepter, and in his right the rope that led to the tied up wrists of his slave, Katrina.

"Oi!" the Pelegostos shouted back.

Satisfied with their pleasant greeting, Jack went on speaking in their language. Then, after some time, one of the leading natives spoke in return before the entire group scattered; helping to rush the pirates up into the mountains.

"What did you say?" Katrina asked Jack as he held her strongly to his side as they went along with the current.

"Simply said I'd come back for a visit. Told them that me crew were me personal servants and you were me slave."

"And what did they say?"

"That I was too kind t' come back t' them. That I'm the best god they've ever 'ad."

"God?"

"Aye. That's why I'm chief."

"So where are we going?"

"They're leadin' us up to their village. They want t' have a celebration in me honor. Said I've been so good to them that they don't want me t' suffer no more 'ardships. They want t' relieve me o' me sufferings from havin' to travel all about all the time."

"What does that mean?"

"Basically, love," Jack grinned, "means we get t' unwind and relax a while."

"And Jones?"

"Let me relax a bit and get me mind clear again. I'll think o' somethin'."

Neither Jack nor Katrina spoke more as they came among a few huts; the beginnings of the Pelegostos' village. Passing these huts, the natives continued to lead the pirates across narrow bridges and further up to higher mountaintops.

----------

At last when they all gathered within what appeared to be a ceremonial opening between huts, the leading native gave instructions to his men.

Although the man was busy speaking, only a few seconds into his speech Jack turned to the nearest pirate, which, to his relief, was Gibbs. "Whatever ye do, try t' escape."

"What?" Gibbs whispered back to Jack.

"They're goin' t' take ye away."

"What about you, Jack?"

"They're goin' t' release me t' the heavens."

"And Mrs. Sparrow?"

"Maybe her, too."

Suddenly movement began within the crowd as some of the Pelegosto men shoved Gibbs and the other pirates toward the bridge at their left. Soon Jack and Katrina were alone among the remaining Pelegostos.

"Whatever ye do," Jack whispered into Katrina's ear. "Don't struggle against them."

"Why? What's going on?"

"I'm one o' there gods trapped in human flesh."

"Meaning…?"

"They want to release me back t' the sky."

"Jack, no!"

"Hush, love," Jack pleaded against her protest. "I'll figure a way out. Trust me."

As Katrina gave a nod in reply, the two were escorted to an elaborate throne. Jack took the seat, keeping his wife close by. The two watched on in silence as the Pelegostos began a pile of wood.

However, to their great surprise, not long after the wood piling began, a small group of native men appeared carrying a man dangling from a wooden rod: Will Turner. It took the poor man a moment or two to open his eyes and look around.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow!" Will cheered brightly.

"Don't say a word to him," Jack whispered to Katrina.

"I can honestly say," Will went on, "I'm glad to see you!"

From there Will's eyes caught sight of Jack's wife.

"Katrina? Is that you?" Will asked in shock as he looked at the woman, much of her curvaceous body exposed due to a skirt hanging off her hips and top covering only the absolute necessities.

Katrina, however, didn't respond, though her gaze was on him. Jack, too, said nothing, but got up from his throne and headed toward the men holding the rod the blacksmith was tied to.

"Jack!" Will pleaded as the pirate showed no sign of recognition toward him. "It's me! Will Turner!"

Sparrow directly spoke to the natives, "Wah-say kohn."

The large native that had led those carrying Will responded back, "Een dah-lah. Eeseepi."

"Eeseepi!" the crowd suddenly joined.

"Tell them to let me down," Will begged.

"Kay-lay lam. Lam piki-piki. Lam meensy weensy. Lam say-say…" Jack paused here as he observed Will up close before turning back to face the native and making a scissor motion with his fingers. "Eunuchy. Snip-snip."

"Ahh," the crowd sighed. "Eunuchy!"

As Jack began to walk away as if uninterested, Will began pleading again, "Jack! The compass! That's all I need. Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for trying to help you. She faces the gallows!"

Jack came to a stop as an idea struck him. Slowly he turned around and casually walked back to the native he had been speaking with.

"Say-say lam shoop-shoop sha smalay-lama shoo-koo. Savvy? Ball licky-licky."

"Ball licky-licky!" the native nodded.

"Ball licky-licky!" the surrounding natives called out before chanting over and over. "Boom-shoo-boo, boom-shoo-boo, boom-shoo-boo…"

Jack kept his mouth shut as the men turned to carry Will away. However, right as they were about to make way onto the bridge, Jack leaned in, motioned with his eyes over to Katrina, and then whispered anxiously, "Save us!"

"Jack, what did you tell them?" Will cried earnestly as he was carried away. "No! What about Elizabeth? Jack!"


	7. More Wood

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** Enjoy! Please reiew!

**Chapter 7**

**More Wood**

Jack watched anxiously as the natives began to pile up wood before him. He hesitantly looked down at the necklace of human toes hanging about his neck that a few natives gave to him before looking at one of the tribe men standing next to him.

The man simply stared at the progress being made for the bonfire. Jack turned his gaze toward that direction as well. Panic slowly crept up as he saw how much progress had been made. He needed more time.

"Not big enough!" the pirate captain stood up, arms flying about, and began shouting at the native warriors. "Oup! No, no! Oi! No, no! More wood! Big fire! Big fire! I am chief! Want big fire! Come on!"

Many of the warriors who had been standing and watching followed suit after the others back out into the jungle. Jack also pushed the man that had been standing next to him to follow the others. "Oi! Maboogie snickel-snickel. Tout de suite! Come on! More wood!"

As soon as all the natives were gone, Jack immediately untied Katrina and the two ran from the fire pit.

They ran across a wood bridge to a gathering of small huts on a nearby mountaintop. Jack tried leading them beyond the huts but quickly found that there was only the one bridge. Quickly he and Katrina delve into one of the huts.

There were many items in this particular hut – knives and axes covered in dry blood hung from the ceiling while silver tea sets and cargo of the East India Trading Company covered the floor.

"Rope, long rope," Sparrow mumbled to himself as he and Katrina searched hastily about the hut.

Finally Jack found a bundle of rope. He pulled it onto his shoulder, as well as took up a can of spices that had the trading company's logo on it. "Love," he called to Katrina as he overturned the can, "They've been 'ere."

Katrina looked to the EITC seal. "That can't be."

As Jack and Katrina stepped out of the hut, they came face to face with a company of Pelegosto warriors.

"Not running away, noooo…" Jack said calmly before dropping both items and grabbing Katrina. He then began rummaging his hands all over her body before setting them on her waist and pulling her pelvis toward his. "Just thought we'd have a quick go before ye release me to the heavens…"

Seeing that this wasn't exactly getting through to the Pelegostos, Jack quickly picked up the can of spices and began powdering himself with the contents of the can. "Can't hurt to spice up the little bit of life 'ere on earth that I have left to live, eh?"

----------

Moments later, Jack found himself hovering over the big pile of wood he had asked for.

"Well done," Jack sighed as he looked down at the wood.

His back was tied to the long wooden post while his hands and feet were bound as well. Jack then tried to look up at where Katrina was, but only could see the bottom half of her legs to the ground from the position he was in. Katrina was tied to a vertical standing post a couple of feet away from the fire pit.

The warriors circled around Jack while one, at the center, held up a well-lit torch. The native was about to set fire to the wood when a young native ran in yelling. In their native language, the man began telling the other warriors that the prisoners were trying to escape.

"Well, go on! Go get them!" Jack ordered at the top of his lungs. "Hay alla!"

"Hay alla!" the cannibal crowd echoed before taking off down the path to the prisoners.

Even the native that had the torch, dropped the torch in order to follow everyone else out. To Jack's horror, the torch had rolled over and landed alongside the wood below him. Little by little wood pieces began to glow.

"Not good," Jack whined. He then desperately began blowing in hopes that would take out the fire. Sadly, this only kindled and helped the little flames to grow.


	8. Escape

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** Enjoy! Please review! Thank you!

**Chapter 8**

**Escape**

"Katrina?" Jack called out in panic. "Can you get me away from this fire? Or stop the fire? Or anything at all?"

Katrina, who had her hands tied above her head to the post and her feet tied to the bottom of the post, struggle with all her might.

"No!" she cried out with frustration as she continued to try and wiggle of her hands free.

Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath before trying the idea that had been forming in his mind. He then began bouncing up and down, forcing the post he was tied to, to also wobble greatly within its supports. After a couple of moments of bouncing, Jack's bouncing caused the post to bounce off its supports. This brought Jack straight to the ground with a thud.

Having rolled away from the fire, Jack stood up as best he could. Finding the bound around his wrists weakened, he quickly freed his hands and then his feet. His back, however, still remained tied against the post.

When he finished untying what he could of himself, he swiftly made his way over to Katrina, who had only been able to free one of her feet.

"Ye know," he began to tease as he finished untying the bound around her feet and stood up carefully to begin untying the bound about her wrists, his face close to hers, "You being tied up like this isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Katrina arched an eyebrow at him as he continued to struggle with the rope.

"O' course, it would be much better if I weren't tied up, as it were," Jack tried to explain as he finally loosened the knot. "But the location, your clothing, and you being tied up like this would still very much do for me."

With this said, Jack gave her a hungry kiss as he finished untying the knot and throwing the rope to the side.

Katrina got swept up in the moment, but pulled back with panic when she realized that someone was watching them.

"What--?" Jack began to ask confused before turning in the direction that Katrina was looking.

His eyes came upon a young native who was holding up a fork and a knife. Jack smiled weakly at the native as he whispered to Katrina, "Time to go, love."

Katrina didn't hesitate for a second as she took off, Jack right behind her with his back still tied to the post, up a path to another gathering of huts.

"We need rope, Katrina," Jack said anxiously. "Look in the huts for long rope to help us."

"But we need to free you first!" Katrina argued.

"Rope first, darlin'! Trust me!"

Katrina huffed at him as she ran into a hut in search of rope. To her it was more logical to free him and use the rope that had him bound.

As his wife continued her search, Jack looked about the items lying outside around the huts in hope to find something that would help him be rid of the post attached to his back.

He didn't get far in his search though, as two older women appeared before him with a gathering of large fruits. Jack immediately tried to play everything off as if he were still in charge as chief. This didn't work, however; the women attacked him by the throwing of large fruit at him.

By the time Katrina had come out the huts empty handed, her eyes grew wide as she saw her husband attached to a post that now consisted of large fruit on either end.

"What on earth happened to you?" Katrina asked as she approached the pirate captain.

"I'll explain later," Jack answered shakily. "Got the rope?"

"There wasn't any," Katrina sighed. "But if we just untie you…"

"We don't have the time, love, we 'ave to hurry out o' here now," Jack replied as he made way to the edge of the small flat-topped mountain they were on.

"Don't have the time?" Katrina protested as she followed him to the edge. "You seemed to have plenty of time when you kissed me."

"Are you sayin' that that was a mistake?" Jack asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"No," Katrina gave in.

"That's what I thought," Jack chuckled before looking at the nearest mountain.

Katrina watched as he seemed to be hastily calculating the distance of the gap between the two flat tops. Just as Jack was turning back to tell something to Katrina, she ran past him and jumped from the edge he was standing on and landed on the other flat-topped mountain.

Jack simply stared after Katrina when she turned to look at him.

"Well, come on!" Katrina called out to him.

Jack quickly backed away from the edge before running and jumping off the edge himself. After a flip in the air, Jack landed on the edge of the other mountain.

However, as he tried to take a step forward, the fruit stuck on the post he was attached to began to slide downward due to gravity. Jack tried pushing against the weight that was causing him to lean back toward the opening between the mountain tops.

Katrina rushed over to him and tried pulling him forward but to no success. In a matter of seconds, Jack wrapped his arms around her as the two of them fell backward down into the gap.

A short distance down the gap the post got stuck between the two cliff faces. This stopping point, however, did not stop Jack and Katrina from falling. The rope bounding Jack to the post finally unraveled as he and Katrina continued to fall. Katrina held onto Jack's arms desperately as the rope's untangling slightly pushed them away from each other.

When the line of rope came to an end, Jack found himself hanging upside down looking onto Katrina's panicked face as she continued to cling on to him.

The stillness at this point didn't last long either, for the post eventually gave way to the slippery rock surface. Once again Jack and Katrina found themselves falling. Jack wrapped himself around Katrina as best he could as they fell through many suspended wooden bridges.

Eventually they landed on the ground side by side on their backs. As they breathed heavily, Jack noticed the post coming down fast toward them. He quickly took hold of Katrina and pulled her onto himself as the post landed vertically into the ground where she had been laying; a moment later all the fruit that had been on the post rained about them.

"Is it," Katrina started, breathing heavily into Jack's chest, "safe to go, now?"

"So you prefer this position rather than be bound to a post?" Jack gave a fake frown before giving her a teasing kiss. "Oh, all right. Let's have a go."

Upon barely opening her mouth to remark Katrina saw Jack's eyes suddenly widen. He then wrapped his arms around her and forced his body to roll over, gaining enough momentum to keep the two of them rolling over and over again until they deep in foliage.

"What happened?" Katrina asked when they had come to a stop.

Jack quickly stood and helped bring her to her feet. He then pointed to the clearing where they had been before; it was covered with arrows and spears. "They're comin' after us."

Without wasting another moment, Jack grabbed Katrina by the hand and hauled her through the trees down toward the shore.

----------

By the time Jack and Katrina hit the white sands, an entire Pelegosto army chased after them.

"Where's the Pearl?" Katrina huffed at Jack, but her answer quickly came as the ran around a bend. Will, Gibbs, and half the crew were busily trying to cast off.

Jack and Katrina ran past a scruffy dog and into the water after the Pearl. Jack helped Katrina climb aboard first. Then, as he was about half-way up the side of his ship he began a short speech at the Pelegostos.

"Alas, my children! This is the day that you shall always remember as the day that you almost--" Jack was interrupted by an incoming wave crashing against his back.

After shaking off some of the water, Jack finished his speech mumbling, "Captain Jack Sparrow," as he turned to climb aboard the Pearl.


	9. Negotiations

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** Have fun! Please review!

**Chapter 9**

**Negotiations**

"Let's put some distance between us and this island, and head out to open sea," Gibbs said aloud as the captain found his balance leaning against Katrina, having just climbed aboard.

"Yes to the first and yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible," Jack answered before walking away with Katrina toward their cabin.

"Uh, that seems a bit contradictory, captain," Gibbs said a bit confused, bringing Jack and Katrina to a stop in front of their cabin doors.

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs," Jack smiled and patted the man on the shoulder before turning and pressing Katrina against the cabin doors.

"Now… how 'bout that quick go I had mentioned to the Pelegostos earlier?" Jack teased heavily at Katrina.

"Why quick? Do we not have much time?" Katrina teased back as her hand searched for the doorknob.

"Oh, darlin'," Jack brought his face close to hers as his right hand began to slide up her thigh within the high slit of her skirt. "I've got all the time in the world when it comes t' you."

Katrina gave a sly smile and was about to reply when she was cut off.

"Jack," Will said softly as he approached the pirate from behind.

"Not now," Jack replied as he began leaning in for Katrina's lips.

"Jack, I need…" Will spoke up a little stronger.

"Later," Jack said as equally strong as he was just about to kiss Katrina.

"Jack!"

"Not now," Jack barked back as he let go of Katrina, pulled out his pistol, and turned around. "Oh. You."

"Will!" Katrina cheered when she had finally seen who it was behind Jack.

"Hello, Katri-" Will began but was cut off short as Katrina nearly jumped onto him with a hug.

"It's so good to see you! What on earth are you doing here? And where's Elizabeth?" Katrina asked quickly before Jack pulled her away.

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Will said as Jack stared him down. "Jack, I need that compass."

"Why?" Jack asked, eyes still narrowed on Will as he stepped in front of Katrina.

"Elizabeth is in danger."

"What?" Katrina let out a gasp.

Jack thought to himself for a moment before heading up the stairs to the helm. "Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on 'er? Maybe just lock her up somewhere?"

"She is locked up," Will said exasperated as they reached the helm. "In a prison. Bound to hang for helping you!"

Jack went quiet, deep in thought for a long moment before shrugging it all off, "There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

Katrina's eyes grew wide in surprise with the captain's answer.

Will, however, simply took out his sword and placed it alongside Jack's neck.

"I need that compass of yours, Jack!" Will ordered as he held out his other hand to receive the compass. "I must trade it for her freedom."

Jack sighed before glancing over at Katrina who was glaring at him with her arms crossed over her chest. He then moved Will's sword from where it laid on his right shoulder, over his head onto his left shoulder before continuing on with the business of his ship as usual.

"Mister Gibbs!" Jack called for his first mate.

"Captain," Gibbs answered from behind the wheel.

"We have a need to travel upriver," Jack said as he walked away from Will to his first mate.

"By 'need,' d'ye mean a… trifling need, uh, fleeting, as in say in a passing fancy?"

"No," Jack replied carefully. "A resolute and unyielding need."

"What we need to do," Will interjected, "is make sail for Port Royal with all haste."

"William," Jack said turning back to the blacksmith, annoyed. "Say you get the compass and rescue your bonnie lass. Where's my profit?"

"You get full pardon," Will said. "Freedom. A commission."

"No," Jack shook his head. "Accepting those things is what you want from me. Don't you want to know what I want from you?"

Will lowered his sword, keeping a steady eye on the pirate captain.

"What do you want from me, Jack?"

"First," Jack began seriously, "if all works out, will Katrina be pardoned as well?"

"Didn't think to ask," Will replied thoughtfully. "I don't see why not."

"Mmm hmm…" Jack said. "Well, make sure that she does or there'll be trouble between you and me."

Will nodded as Jack stared him in the eye.

"All right," the pirate continued, "what I want from you, besides pardoning my Katrina, is quite dangerous."

Will rolled his eyes.

Jack ignored the blacksmith's reaction. "I shall trade you the compass, if you will help me… to find this."

Jack then pulled out the small piece of cloth that had the drawing of a key.

"You want me to find this?" Will looked at the cloth with skepticism.

"No," Jack corrected. "You want you to find this. Because the finding this finds you incapacitotially finding and/or locating your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle ol'… what's-her-face. Savvy?"

"This…," Will said as he took up the cloth and examined it, "is going to save Elizabeth?"

Jack sighed before looking over at Katrina who was glaring at him with her arms still crossed over her chest.

Jack gave a small smile, looked around them, and then leaned in a bit closer to Will.

"How much do you know about Davy Jones?" Sparrow whispered to Will.

"Not much," Will replied honestly.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed as he stepped back. "It's goin' to save Elizabeth."

----------

"What, love?" Jack asked as he trailed his unhappy wife to their cabin. "Why are ye so angry?"

Katrina spun around to face Jack as he shut the door behind him. "First of all, you don't care of what has happened to our friends."

"You mean your friend--"

"No, Jack, _our_ friends. You and I both know that you are rather fond of Will and Elizabeth. I can't believe that you just said that Elizabeth is taking responsibility for her actions in helping to save you from the hangman's noose by being locked up! And secondly, what are you up to? How is Will retrieving that key going to help Elizabeth?"

"All right, I admit I might've been in the wrong 'bout Lizzie, but you're just going t' 'ave t' trust me on that second part there, darlin'."

Katrina narrowed her eyes on her husband. "I'm not entirely sure that I can."

Jack frowned.

"Don't think that I don't sense trouble here, Jack," Katrina said as she began to encircle her husband. "You had better not be doing anything foolish."

"Love, you've always trusted me without questioning. Why not now, eh?"

"I… well, because I… I mean I do trust you, but… well, I… I…" Katrina found herself stuck with Jack's truth.

After taking a deep breath, Jack brought his wife to a stop as he grabbed her exposed hips.

"Come now, love, don't be like this. Just trust in me."

As he waited for a comment, Jack saw on Katrina's face that she was fighting to give in to him.

"Please, love, just trust in your dear husband."

"But--"

Jack pressed a finger to Katrina's lips to silence her. "Trust me, love. Like you've always done before."

Katrina still didn't say a word as Jack, with a smirk playing at his lips, looked her up and down and pulled her to him until her pelvis was against his.

"Trust me like ye did just now in wearin' this outfit 'fore the Pelegostos," Jack said quietly with mischief in his eyes. "Trust me like ye did when we first met… when I took ye dancin' out at the beach. Remember those nights?"

Katrina found it suddenly impossible not to smile as she allowed her mind to bring forth those past memories. However, another thought struck her mind.

"Now, Jack," she began with the unintentional flirtatious smile still playing at her lips. "Know that I do trust you as I did then…but honestly, of all examples of my trust in you… why are you emphasizing on these specific examples?"

Jack's infamous crooked grin appeared on his face as he slowly began moving his wife's hips in sync with his in a circle. "Oh, I don't know, love… per'aps I still want that 'quick go' I told the Pelegostos about."

"Is that so?" Katrina asked with a sultry voice as she felt the obvious answer to the question as Jack continued to keep their pelvises against one another.

As Jack's grin widened, he slowly walked a few steps forward until Katrina's back was against the wall. "Aye, love."

Not allowing her to return his answer with a comment, Jack pressed his lips against hers. Katrina eagerly returned the kiss, her open mouth letting him claim territory.

As their kiss deepened, Jack's right hand once again slid up his wife's thigh to the welcoming entrance of her skirt's slit, causing her to respond enthusiastically by bring that leg up and coiling itself around him.

"Jack," Katrina managed to whisper as her husband ever-so-slowly moved his fervent kisses downward along her throat.

"Yes, Katrina?" Jack teasingly asked before his second finger accompanied the first up and in causing Katrina to arch against the wall as a gasp escaped her lips, her hands tightly gripping his shoulders.

"Well, love?" Jack teased viciously again before burying himself into the valley of her breasts that she had nearly thrust at him as she arched against the wall, his fingers busying themselves in a playful manner in and out.

"Jack," Katrina breathed again in a begging tone. She tried to think straight as her hips instinctively kept attempting to buck, her hands now clinging onto her husband's head at her chest. "Don't make this quick like you told the Pelegostos."

"O' course not, love," Jack replied softly as he brought his lips to hers once again. "I told ye that I've all the time in the world when it comes t' you."


	10. Not Hungry

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 10**

**Not Hungry**

Evening had come about the Pearl. As some of the crew and Will began gathering food to eat, Katrina sent Gibbs to get Jack. The pirate captain had been in his cabin all day long pondering about the key and its connection with freeing him from the deal he had made with Davy Jones.

"I don't think the captain be joinin' us, Mrs. Sparrow," Gibbs solemnly said to Katrina upon entering the galley.

Katrina sighed sadly as she finished fixing herself a plate and laid it on the table among the hungry crew.

"Want me to try to get him out of there?" Will offered his help.

"No. I'll find a way. Thank you, though."

She then made her way out the galley up to the captain's quarters.

"Jack," Katrina began softly as she knocked on the door. "Come on, Jack."

Not receiving any reply, Katrina quietly entered, closing the door behind her. As she made her way to the bed, she noticed Jack lying on his back with one arm bent across his face covering his eyes. Perhaps it was necessary to cover his eyes while the sun was out, but it was now nearly below the horizon.

After lighting a few candles, Katrina stopped at the foot of the bed.

"Jack," she began again, a hint of worry in her voice. "Please take a break from trying to figure this out and come to the galley for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Jack mumbled from the other end of the bed.

Katrina bit her lower lip before continuing in the same tone, "Come on, Jack. Look, I'm even wearing that red dress you picked out for me from Antigua."

Jack remained quiet.

Katrina stood for several moments in silence. Her heart weighed heavy with concern for Jack. What he needed to figure out for retrieving this key was important. However, nothing was getting accomplished. Jack had spent all day in his present position without having eaten a thing. As much as it had hurt her when discovering that Jack had made a deal with Davy Jones, and now trying to find a way to come about it so that he may continue to live, she ached to see him in such a state. She knew that Jack, though the brilliant captain he was, couldn't think straight without some real food in his stomach.

Trying to think of some way she could possibly get her husband to move from the position he lie on the bed, or at the least remove his arm so he could see her, Katrina rolled her eyes at the thought of the one idea that usually worked. Knowing what she had to do, she got onto the bed and slowly began crawling across it and its master.

"Jack please," Katrina started again in a sweet, pleading voice, hoping the pirate captain would remove his arm and take great pleasure in what was coming towards him. If he'd only look up he'd have the welcoming view of her breasts nearly pouring out of her dress, thus allowing a change of focus that he desperately needed. "You need to take a break from this."

Jack continued to stay silent.

"In any case it's not good for you to be thinking so much on an empty stomach."

"But will the key really allow me to break off this deal?" Jack finally said dramatically, reaching with both hands up above his head towards the ceiling where his gaze lay before allowing his arms to collapse back to their original positions mumbling, "I 'ave to figure this out!"

Katrina stopped crawling over the pirate captain, annoyed that he didn't even look at her. She then straddled herself across his waist, her dress covering the sides of the bed and Jack's legs.

"Please, Jack," Katrina cooed softly as she began to gently glide her hands over his chest. "I know how important it is to figure this out, but forcing your brain to over think things is not good!"

Receiving no response, Katrina purposefully readjusted her sitting position several times over while her hands continued to caress his chest. Jack gave an involuntary shudder from underneath. Katrina smirked to herself as she continued to skim her fingertips along his chest within the opening of his shirt thinking she finally had gotten her husband to change his focus.

"Mmm… Jack" Katrina sweetly moaned for added effect. "Now why don't you just come with me to the galley."

Jack gave an irritated sigh in reply.

Katrina brought her hands and hips to a stop. "Would you rather me bring the food here?"

Jack gave another irritated sigh.

In response to Jack's sigh, Katrina folded her arms in frustration.

"Jack," Katrina began through clenched teeth. "You need a break from your thoughts! You have been here too long, you must be hungry, so remove that arm from your face and let's go to the galley!"

"I'm not hungry," Jack mumbled as he had done before.

Katrina shook her head in disagreement. "I don't care. You need to eat something."

With that said, Katrina moved to one side of Jack. Rising up onto her knees she grabbed both of his hands and began pulling him up into a seated position as she crawled backwards to the foot of the bed.

"I said I'm not hungry," Jack protested as he weakly tried pulling away from his wife.

"Well, I think you need at least something."

"I don't want a thing," Jack whined bitterly as he let his head fall back when he finally sat upright near the end of the bed. "I'm not hungry."

By the time Jack bid his whining, Katrina had made her way off the bed and was now standing directly in front him.

"Jack," Katrina began, her arms crossed in front of her, "You may not want to eat, but you need to eat! As I said, you can't think straight on an empty stomach."

Jack gave a small sigh upward as he continued to look at the ceiling. However, after a moment he brought his head upright to face Katrina.

"My darlin' Katrina, I'm not--" he started but stopped abruptly as his view changed from the ceiling to Katrina's heaving chest. Was the new dress also too tight?

"I don't care, Jack!" Katrina stated firmly, her eyes narrowing.

Jack slowly moved his gaze from where they lay on Katrina's body to her eyes. She was upset. He recognized the look immediately. Oh, but how beautiful she looked when she was angry – her long black hair all disheveled around her face as it fell onto and past her exposed shoulders, and her folded arms so tightly folded about the base of her breasts, bringing a greater filling to the eye as they rose and fell with every breath. Suddenly the rush of her touch from just moments ago when he was still laying with his arm over his eyes came back.

"I said I'm not hungry," Jack smirked.

"And I said that I don't--"

"That is…" Jack interrupted with his infamous crooked grin before grabbing his wife around the waist and pulling her onto the bed. "I'm not hungry for _food_ at the moment."


	11. Spooked

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** To all that have sent reviews thus far…. Thank you so very much!!!

**Chapter 11**

**Spooked**

It was very dark and misty as the crew of the Pearl rowed in wooden boats up a still river into marsh lands covered by the murky canopy of sinister trees.

Jack sat the front of his longboat, making an effort to show no fear, but his body continued to betray him with nervous shaking. Katrina sat at his left, holding onto his arm while Cotton rowed them onward.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Katrina barely made out Will's question to Gibbs from her left; the other longboat remaining close.

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast that does the bidding o' Davy Jones," Gibbs replied grimly, ""A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off. And drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness. The Kraken."

Hearing this, Katrina shivered involuntarily.

"They say the stench of its breath is like… oh," she heard Gibbs go on. "Imagine… the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things."

"Is that true, Jack?" Katrina whispered into her husband's ear.

"Don't pay Gibbs attention," Jack said as calmly as he could through chattering teeth. "Ye know how he loves t' tell stories."

Katrina took a deep breath. "Will this key spare you of this creature?"

"That's why we're 'ere, love," Jack whispered back. "She'll tell us."

Katrina blinked up at Jack. "She?"


	12. Tia Dalma

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 12**

**Tia Dalma**

When the boats reached the raised house among the swamp grounds, Jack was still shaking. He and Katrina were the first out of the boats and onto the platform with a ladder leading to the house above.

"No worries, mates," Jack tried to say calmly as everyone else stepped out of the boats, "I'll handle this. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are… were… uh, have been… before."

Katrina gave Jack an unconvinced look. After all he was still holding her hand very tightly.

"I'll watch your back," Gibbs offered as Jack and Katrina made way to begin ascending the ladder.

"It's me front I'm worried about," Jack mumbled as he and Katrina reached the porch above, the crew right behind them.

Jack hesitated for a long moment before Katrina finally pulled him into the small wooden house.

There were jars everywhere; some with odd creatures inside, others with multiple parts of a creature. There were also stringed beads and feathers hanging from the rafters and a couple of what seemed to be voodoo dolls here and there. And at the far end of the room, at a table surrounded by candles, sat Tia Dalma.

"Jack Sparrow!" the gypsy nearly cheered as she immediately left the table.

"Tia Dalma!" Jack tried to greet back with as much enthusiasm.

"I always knew de wind was going to blow you back to me one day."

As Jack opened his mouth to comment back, Tia Dalma's caught sight of Katrina. She pushed past Jack, ignoring his attempt to speak, until she stood directly in front of his wife.

"My… such a bright glow comes from widin you, Katrina…. bride of Sparrow."

Katrina looked at the woman apprehensively. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

Tia Dalma shook her head as her smile grew warmer. She then reached out a hand to brush back a few loose strands of hair, looking deep into Katrina's eyes as she did so. "I see dat you've begun de journey of what your husband want most."

"Aye," Jack spoke up as he nearly skipped over to be next to the two women. "Which is why we're here." He then gestured with his head toward Will. "Could ye help the lad?"

Tia Dalma looked Jack dead in the eye for a long moment with great irritation before obliging and turning to Will with a sudden mysterious interest

"You. You have a touch of destiny about you, William Turner," she said as she moved closer to him.

"You know me?" Will asked in confusion, same as Katrina.

"You want to know me?" she said sweetly as she gazed into Will's eyes.

"There will be no knowing here," Jack broke out between the two before leading Tia Dalma back to the table. "We've come for help and we're not leaving without it. I thought I knew you."

"Not so well as I had hoped," Tia replied to Jack as she took a seat before motioning to Will, "Come."

"Come," Jack echoed as he gestured to the chair by Tia Dalma.

"What service may I do you? Hmm?" Tia Dalma asked as she glided her hand along Will's face. She then stopped and looked up at Jack, "You know I demand payment."

"I brought payment!" Jack said cheerfully as he took a cage imprisoning the cursed monkey from Pintel and sat it on the table. "Look! An undead monkey! Top that!"

With that said, Jack pulled out his pistol and shot the monkey.

Tia Dalma nodded and then opened the cage, freeing the monkey.

"No! You've no idea how long it took us to catch that," Gibbs whined.

"De payment is fair," Tia Dalma ignored Gibbs.

She then took a seat at the head of the table. Will immediately sat at her right as Jack took out the small piece of cloth from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"We're looking for this," Will explained, "and what it goes to."

"Dat compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to dis?" Tia Dalma questioned Jack.

Jack didn't reply right away.

Katrina, who stood beside Jack, nodded at Tia Dalma when the gypsy looked to her. "His compass isn't working."

Pintel, and Ragetti couldn't help but laugh a little, and quickly placed a hand over their mouths.

Jack eyed the men before announcing confidently, "My compass works fine."

Tia Dalma had a wide grin on her face as she watched Jack become defensive. "Yes, Jack your compass works. Katrina carries dat truth."

"What?" Katrina asked.

Tia Dalma ignored her question. "De compass cannot lead you to dis?" she asked Jack again as she pointed at the cloth.

"Maybe," Jack offered in reply. "Why?"

"Ahhh…" Tia Dalma smiled all the more knowingly. "I knew it! Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants!"

Jack hesitated under Tia Dalma's stare as he finally realized that she knew about his hallucinations, but he refused to admit anything.

Tia Dalma gave a wink to Jack before speaking to Will again. "Your key goes to a chest… and it is what lies inside de chest you seek, don't it?"

"What _is_ inside?" Gibbs blurted out anxiously.

"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" Pintel asked greedily.

"Nothing bad, I hope," Ragetti added thinking back to what happened last time they went after a great prize.

Tia Dalma simply smiled to herself. "You know of Davy Jones, yes?"

The people around her stayed quiet.

"A man of de sea," she answered. "A great sailor until he ran afoul of dat which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked as the gypsy motioned for Katrina to sit to the left of her.

"What, indeed," Tia Dalma turned to Will.

"The sea?" Gibbs asked.

Tia Dalma shook her head.

"Sums!" Pintel guessed.

Tia Dalma shook her head again.

"Dichotomy of good and evil," Ragetti offered.

Everyone looked at Ragetti oddly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "A woman."

Tia Dalma smiled at the pirate's correct answer.

"A woman," the gypsy nodded, taking Katrina's left hand and eyeing her ring for a second before looking directly back at Jack. "He fell in love."

Jack began to feel uneasy again under Tia Dalma's gaze as she said this.

"No-no-no-no," Gibbs spoke up. "I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

"Same story, different versions, and all are true," the mystic declared before gesturing at herself as she continued, "See, it was a woman, as changing, and harsh, and untamable as de sea. He never stopped loving her, but the pain it caused 'im was too much to live wid… but not enough to cause him to die."

All the men in the room, including Jack and Will, nodded knowingly at what Tia Dalma had said before turning to look at the captain's wife. Katrina shrank under the men's gazes. She knew she didn't fit all the characteristics Tia Dalma had just listed, but she couldn't help but feel as if she had done something wrong from how everyone looked at her.

"What… exactly did he put into the chest?" Will started speaking again.

"Him heart," Tia Dalma answered.

"Literally, or figuratively?" Ragetti asked, unsure of what the gypsy was saying.

"It was not wort' feeling what… small, fleeting joy life brings, and so… him carved out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide de chest from de world," Tia Dalma explained. "The key… he keep wid him at all times."

"That was a roundabout way to get to the answer," Jack commented.

"You knew this," Will said with realization as he stood up to Jack.

"I did not," Jack recoiled. "I didn't know where the key was."

Will rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"But now we do," Jack said brightly. "So all that's left is to do is climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, hey!"

Will said nothing as he sat back down with his arms crossed, contemplating on what to do.

"Katrina," Tia Dalma turned to the young woman beside her as Will continued to sit in quiet thought. "Let me take anot'er look at you."

"Why?" Jack asked as the gypsy looked deep into Katrina's eyes again. "What's wrong wi' her?"

"What is it dat you want most in dis world?" Tia Dalma returned in question to the pirate as she stood from the table back to another room.

Stumped at the trick question, Jack took a long moment before solidly answering, "The key." However, after another moment of thought, Jack added, "Then the chest. Eventually me life back wi'out any debt t' settle." When he finished answering, Tia Dalma walked back into the room with a small glass filled to the brim with blue liquid.

"Drink dis," the mystic told Katrina as she handed the glass to her.

Katrina hesitated as she looked to her husband.

"Uh, one moment," Jack intervened with a raised index finger.

Tia Dalma glared at Jack. "'ow bad do you want what you want most?"

Jack eyed Tia Dalma silently for a few seconds. "Terribly bad."

"Enough to 'ave your bride do as I say?"

"Like what?"

Tia Dalma grinned. "Like 'ave her drink dis and--"

"And?"

"And aft'ward no more alcohol?"

Jack went on eyeing the mystic suspiciously. "This ritual o' yours will help me get the key?"

Tia Dalma's grin widened all the more. "De key to what you want most in all de world."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"

"Yes. I promise."

"Very well," Jack, more or less, accepted. "But at least tell me this… what is that in the glass?"

"A chill tea dat will 'elp her be strong. Believe me, Jack… a fierce pat' is laid b'fore you in your quest for de key. Your bride need to be strong for all dat is coming."

"What about the rest o' us?" Pintel spoke up.

Tia Dalma smiled. "You all men. You 'ave strength enough."

Ragetti shook his head fearfully. "Are ye sure?"

Tia Dalma turned her gaze back to Jack. "You do believe in me, don't you, Jack Sparrow?"

Jack caved. "Aye."

Receiving a somewhat approved look from Jack, Katrina hesitantly took the glass to her lips before quickly downing the blue liquid.

"Now, let me see your hand," Tia Dalma said, extending her right hand expecting Jack to obey her.

The pirate captain first gave her his right hand but eventually switched hands knowing he couldn't trick the mystic. Tia Dalma slowly unwrapped his hand and nodded as she recognized the black spot.

Gibbs, however, immediately began dusting himself off, turned in a circle, and then spat on the ground. Pintel and Ragetti quickly did the same.

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know."

Tia Dalma ignored Jack's comment and instead walked over to the back of her shack into another room.

As they waited for Tia Dalma's return, Jack's light fingers, snatched up a ring that lay next to a silver heart-shaped locket on a nearby table.

"Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land, but once every ten year," she said to Jack as she re-entered the room with a large jar of dirt. "Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land wid you."

Jack looked at the contents of the jar.

"Dirt. This is a jar of dirt," Jack said dissatisfied.

"Yes," Tia Dalma confirmed.

"Is the… jar of dirt going to help?" the pirate captain asked dubious.

"If you don't want it," Tia Dalma replied in annoyance as she reached out for the jar, "give it back."

"No," Jack cried out, keeping the jar very close.

"Den it helps," Tia Dalma smiled.

After a quiet moment, Will stepped in between the two; he had made a decision about the key.

"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman," he said to the gypsy.

Tia Dalma nodded and took a seat at her table again. She then collected up a number of crab claws, shook them in her hands as she whispered a spell, and finally dropped them down onto the table. The casting of lots using the crab claws revealed the location of where to find Davy Jones.


	13. Under the Weather

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 13**

**Under the Weather**

The Black Pearl had been sailing all night from Tia Dalma's; its heading set by the gypsy after she had cast lots with the crab claws.

Jack Sparrow began to stir from his sleep as the first rays of the morning light peeked around the edges of the curtains of the cabin. It took him a good several minutes before completely waking up.

"Need to relieve Gibbs of the wheel," he groaned to himself.

As he tried to make his way out of bed, he realized that he couldn't easily remove his left arm. Sometime during the night it had wrapped itself around Katrina and remained there. Of course, it didn't help that in doing this he had prodded her to curl up next to him. Usually he was pretty good at silently climbing out of bed, but that didn't seem to be the case for this morning.

"Love," he said gently into her ear as his right hand began rubbing up and down her back. "Do ye mind movin' just a bit so I can get out of bed and relieve Gibbs from the helm?"

A quiet murmur came from Katrina's mouth as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Did ye 'ear what I said, love?" Jack asked softly.

"No," Katrina answered as brows knit together in confusion.

Jack gave her a small smile. "I'm askin' if ye can move just a bit to free me arm so I can go relieve Gibbs of his duty at the wheel."

Katrina continued to look confused until the fingers of Jack's left hand began drumming along her waist.

"Oh," she laughed lightly before sitting up.

"Thank ye kindly, love," Jack gave her a loving kiss on the lips before standing up out of the bed.

As Katrina sat and watched Jack put on his pants, an overwhelming feeling of nausea unlike the previous weeks came about her. Without wasting a second to call out to Jack she ran into the adjoining bathroom.

Having noticed the flash of her red silk nightgown rush past him, Jack immediately made way to the bathroom after her.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" Jack asked as he walked into the bathroom to find Katrina head over what presumably would be the toilet.

"I don't know," Katrina whined as she pushed her hair back before vomiting again.

Jack hesitated a moment, not liking the situation, before going behind Katrina and holding her hair back for her.

"Is this part o' your usual upset stomach in the mornin' in that it 'as finally let up… or is this somethin' else?

Katrina managed an angry glare at Jack, tears running down her face, as she cried, "I don't know!" She then emptied her stomach again.

"Hmm… perhaps it was somethin' ye ate in combination o' this sickness. What did ye eat last night, Katrina?" Jack began investigating.

"The same stew that you and the crew ate!" Katrina replied, a little annoyed.

Suddenly a thought struck Jack. "Tia Dalma."

"What?"

"Ye drank that blue stuff that Tia Dalma gave you!"

"But she said it was to make me stronger."

"Hate t' break it to ye, love, but you look weaker not stronger."

"You trusted her, Jack!" Katrina argued bitterly before giving in to the toilet yet again.

After many long on-going minutes of Katrina's stomach letting up and Jack trying to figure what to do next, Jack guided his wife back to their bed.

"Now," Jack began as he continued dressing himself, "I'm goin' t' go relieve Mr. Gibbs. I want you to stay 'ere and rest, savvy?"

Katrina weakly nodded her head.

When he finished dressing, Jack walked over to Katrina gave her a loving kiss on her forehead. "I'll come check up on ye in a little while."

Katrina nodded again. Jack then left the cabin.

----------

"Took ye long enough," Gibbs greeted Jack when the pirate captain had reached the helm. "Had a good mornin' with the missus as ye did wi' her last night?"

Jack gave a thin smile. "No."

Gibbs' amused look fell ill. "Sorry, captain."

"It's al lright," Jack said as he took over the wheel. "Just a minor upset stomach. Sure it's nothin'. She'll be fine."

Gibbs was unsure and seemed to be thinking on the superstition of women being bad luck.

"You're free to go, Mr. Gibbs," Jack then said as if reading the man's silent thoughts.

Gibbs nodded his head and turned away heading to his cabin down below.

----------

A couple of hours later shifts were traded. Among those of the crew emerging from below came Will Turner.

"What's wrong with Katrina?" Will asked as he approached Sparrow. "Gibbs said she's not feeling well."

Jack sighed aloud. "Nothin', mate. Just a bit under the weather at the moment, that's all."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Will offered.

Jack rolled his eyes. "She's fine, Mr. Turner. She's takin' a rest in our--"

"Are we getting close?"

Jack and Will looked over the wheel down at Katrina on the deck below.

"I thought I told ye to stay in bed and rest," Jack said with concern as he quickly left the wheel to Will.

"But I'm feeling better," Katrina explained as Jack jumped the last few steps of the staircase and jogged over to her.

"Are you sure?" the pirate captain asked as he began to feel her face for a fever.

"Whatever it was that upset me is out of my system now," Katrina reassured as she removed Jack's hand from her forehead.

Jack gave his wife a skeptical look as he raised one of his eyebrows. "Honestly?"

"Yes," Katrina replied seriously.

"All right then," Jack said as took her hand in his to lead her up to the helm. "But I want you up 'ere with me so I can keep an eye on ye."

"Must I?"

"Aye."

"Fine. But it's not my fault if I turn out to be too much of a distraction for you to steer your ship."


	14. Sending Off Will

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy.

**Chapter 14**

**Sending Off Will**

By nightfall, the Pearl had reached her destination. And to add to the gloom of the ghostly ship in their sight was the heavy down-pouring of rain with flashes of lightning and claps of thunder.

"That's the Flying Dutchman?" Will asked Jack once they had dropped anchor several yards away. "She doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you," Jack retorted. "Don't underestimate her."

Will and Jack allowed a moment of silence settle as they continued to look at the wrecked ship.

"What's your plan?" Jack finally questioned Will.

"I row over, and search the ship until I find your bloody key," Will said a bit agitated.

"If there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path," Will said flatly.

Jack grinned at this. "I like it. Simple and easy to remember."

"I bring you the key, you give me the compass."

"Yes, and if you do get captured, just say, 'Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt.' It might save your life."

Will took in this bit of knowledge as he climbed down to the wooden boat below.

"I can't believe you've sent him over there to do your bidding, Jack," Katrina said as she approached the pirate captain.

Jack gave her an innocent look, "Pirate."

Katrina shook her head as she continued to watch Will row his way to the other ship.

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack then said turning to his first mate, "Put out the light."


	15. Payment

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 15**

**Payment**

From the darkness aboard the Pearl, Jack kept an eye on Will through his spyglass. He watched as Will approached the remaining sailors on board.

"What's going on?" Katrina whispered from his side.

"Not much, love--" Jack quickly cut his answer short as he saw the Flying Dutchmen surface. "He's here."

Gibbs, who stood on the other side of Jack, began to shake nervously as he crossed himself.

"Get 'er to me cabin," Jack whispered harshly to Gibbs.

"No. I'm not going anywhere," Katrina protested.

Jack made no comment to Katrina. Instead he motioned with his head for Gibbs to carry out his orders.

Although his wife gave the first mate a lot of trouble, Jack ignored her. He continued to keep his eye on Will. Though things seemed to be going well, Jones abruptly turned away from Will and was now looking dead on at Jack.

Not liking Jones looking straight at him, Jack lowered the spyglass. However, to his great surprise and dismay, Jones was standing no more than a foot away on the deck of the Pearl with him.

"You have a debt to pay," Jones snarled at Jack. "You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement."

"Technically," Jack began to clarify, "I've been captain for only three years. After me first two years I was viciously mutinied upon. And I've only had the Pearl to meself for a year now after the ordeal with Barbossa was--"

"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless," Jones said fiercely, cutting off Jack. "Have you not introduced yourself all this time as Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"Not that I recall. Why do you ask?" Jack tried to play off as he began hinting about Will. "You 'ave my payment. One soul, to serve on your ship. He's already over there."

"You can't trade," Jones argued. "You can't substitute."

"Ah," Jack raised his finger in protest to prove a point. "There is precedent regarding servitude, according to The Code of the Brethren…"

"One soul is not the same as another!" Jones yelled angrily, his beard of tentacles curling and uncurling.

"Ah, so we've established the proposal is sound in principle. Now we're just haggling over the price," Jack said.

"As has been the case before," Jones gave in. "I am oddly compelled to listen to you."

Jack smiled in spite of himself upon hearing this from Jones.

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" he asked furtively.

Jones thought to himself for a moment before responding, "One hundred souls. Three days."

Jack couldn't help but widen his smile. "You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started, right off."

"I keep the boy," Jones snapped. "A good-faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go."

"What?" Jack asked coolly. "Have you met Will Turner? He's noble and heroic, a terrific soprano… he's worth at least four. And did I mention he is in love? Due to be married… to a lovely young lady. You hate that malarkey."

"As much as I hate it," Jones said sternly as his eyes searched Jack. "I'm surprised to hear such a thing from you since rumor has it that you yourself fell in love and are now married."

"Me?" Jack laughed off as he quickly put his hands behind his back to change his wedding band to another finger. "Nope, still the notorious bachelor captain… er… pirate that I've ever been."

"Hmm," Jones thought aloud as he eyed two of his crew members on either side of Katrina, one of them holding up her left hand to show the ring she wore. "All right then, I'll give back the boy."

Jack nearly choked with this unexpected answer. "Oh, good."

"And instead I'll be taking this 'ere missy."

"Come again?" Jack leaned forward at Jones before turning to follow the wicked man's gaze to his wife.

Katrina immediately began struggling against the men of the Flying Dutchman that had grabbed her to take her to Jones. She managed to kick one of them away from her, allowing a free hand to take out her sword. As she made way behind the other man, bringing the blade threateningly across his neck, Jones quickly turned to face Sparrow.

"That's quite a lass you've got there," Jones said with an edgy tone.

Jack's eyes narrowed with warning onto Jones. "As untamable as the sea."

Hearing this angered Jones terribly. He swiftly called for other crew members to take hold of Katrina. The crew of the Pearl began to put up a fight to defend Katrina, but Jack gestured for them to wait. With his hand waiting anxiously on the hilt of his sword, Jack watched as his wife, now with her hands bound behind her back and a cloth covering her mouth, be led over to Jones; his mind racing of what action to take.

"Ye know what," Jack desperately began as if all that was going on was nothing more than a silly game, "just keep the boy. After all, as you had said before, we can't trade or substitute. Not to mention that I hardly think that any fraction of my soul is worth that of a woman's."

Jones, who had taken off Katrina's ring and admiring the engraved bird figure on the underside that matched Jack's tattoo, looked up in amusement at the captain of the Pearl.

"Just admit it, Jack," Jones said as he threw the ring at the pirate, "you have a better reason for me to leave the lass here and keep the boy."

After having caught the ring and putting it in one of his pockets for safe keeping, Jack pulled out his sword and aimed it at Jones.

"You're right, I do," Jack said through clenched teeth. "The rumors of me bein' a married man are true."

"Ah," Jones smirked as he wrapped a hand around Katrina's waist. "So this bonnie lass is your wife?"

"Yes," Jack said gravely as he watched Jones' tentacle of that same arm at her waist wrap itself across her lower abdomen to rest on the side of her other hip. "Now let her go."

Jones studied Jack's eyes for a moment. He saw a fire within them that made him remember back to a time in which he held a similar kind of flame for a woman.

"I'll let her go and keep the boy if--"

Jack furrowed his brows as he tried to figure out why Jones had abruptly stopped in mid sentence. The captain of the Flying Dutchman suddenly appeared to be softening up a little as he turned his attention down at his tentacle-arm, still wrapped around Katrina, for a long moment before looking back over at Jack.

"I thought you a mad man, Jack Sparrow, to risk your wife in your personal dealings with me," Jones nearly spat as he released his hold on Katrina and motioned for someone to untie her hands and uncover her mouth. "But you must be out of your bloody mind to risk your entire family."

Jack's eyebrows seemed to knit even tighter together in confusion. Was there a difference between Katrina being his wife and his whole family?

"You should be more careful," Jones said bitterly as he pushed Katrina towards Jack. "Not everybody understands as I do. You should be grateful that she at least married you."

Jack slowly put his sword away trying to recompose himself as Katrina tightly held on to his free hand.

"I keep the boy," Jones stated flatly. "You owe ninety-nine souls. In three days. But I wonder, Sparrow… can you live with this?"

"Yep," Jack replied immediately.

"You can condemn an innocent man – a friend – to a lifetime of servitude, in your name, while you roam free?"

"I'm good with it," Jack said without a second thought. "Shall we seal it in blood? I mean, ink?"

"Let's not, and say we did. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Jack said as looked down upon his palm; the black spot had disappeared. And when he looked back up, Davy Jones and his crew had disappeared as well, the Flying Dutchman sailing off toward the horizon.

Jack then turned to Katrina.

"You all right, love?" Jack asked, cradling her face within his hands.

"Yes," Katrina breathed a little shaky. "I think so. I'm just a bit confused on what just happened. Why did Jones let me go?"

"To be honest, darlin'," Jack shook his head, "I've no idea meself."

Katrina took in another shaky breath.

"But he didn't hurt you or leave any marks on you, did he?" Jack inquired protectively with a hint of anger as he bent down and began peeling back some of Katrina's clothing in order to examine the area of where Jones had laid his tentacle arm.

"I'm fine," Katrina said as she tried to get Jack to leave her clothes alone and stand up straight.

Jack ignored her attempt to stop him and instead continued gliding his hand across her skin in search of suction marks.

"Honestly Jack, I'm…"

"What?" Jack asked when Katrina didn't complete her protest, his eyes still scanning her flesh alongside his hand.

At once Katrina put her hand over Jack's hand to stop it from further movement on her lower abdomen. An odd feeling had shot up through her body from where Jack's hand had touched her. In a moment she felt as if her world was beginning to spin.

"What's wrong, love?" Jack asked with a hint of worry now as he stood up straight to face her.

Katrina immediately grabbed onto his shoulder for balance with her other hand. After a couple of deep breaths, she replied to Jack as calmly as she could, "I just suddenly felt very dizzy. But I think I'm better now."

Jack arched a brow at her.

"Perhaps next time," Jack slowly began to speak, "I'll keep you locked up in our cabin for the entire time."

Katrina pouted at Jack. "And miss all this?"

"Well, considerin' the fact that I almost lost ye tonight… and that ye may 'ave gotten an additional new sickness from that codfish… aye."

Katrina sighed in defeat. "Fine. But for your information I thought I fought rather well."

Jack chuckled lightly at this as he lifted his hand from her abdomen to bring her hand that still covered his to his lips. "That'll be somethin' very much missed next time 'round."

"Well then don't lock me up," Katrina argued sweetly.

"So how do we collect these souls, captain?" Gibbs interrupted from behind before Jack could comment back to Katrina.

Jack slowly turned around with a knowing smile. "Tortuga."

"Aye," Gibbs grinned. "Tortuga."


	16. Tortuga

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 16**

**Tortuga**

Once in Tortuga, the crew of the Pearl took to Jack's favorite pub, the Faithful Bride. Upon entering, Jack sent Katrina to grab drinks for him and Gibbs as they went in the opposite direction in search of a table to set up a recruiting list for the Pearl.

----------

"Two rums," Katrina called out as she came up to the bar counter, but quickly realized that no one was working behind it. She turned to look at the surrounding room. All the girls of the Faithful Bride were scattered about serving drinks.

Katrina sighed at this. And then just as she was contemplating on whether to grab some of the rum bottles from behind the counter or let Jack order them from one of the girls making their rounds, a familiar face appeared at her side.

"Katrina is that you?"

Katrina turned to her side to find a woman of Tortuga, a friend she had made from her countless trips to the pirate town with Jack.

"Annie!" Katrina cheered in greeting before looking to the wailing baby in Annie's arms. "My goodness! Who is this little one?"

"This is my nephew, Samuel," Annie replied.

"Oh, so he's not yours."

"No, heavens, no! Was takin' care o' him 'til my sister was done with her shift. That's why I'm here. Of course, he obviously doesn't like being with me."

Katrina gave a small laugh as they both looked at the crying baby boy; red in the face with tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, don't say that," Katrina tried to laugh off.

"But it's true," Annie laughed back before turning the baby around to face Katrina. "So what brings ye back to Tortuga? That husband of yours on another treasure hunt?"

"Isn't that always the case with him?" Katrina teased before replying more seriously, "But yes, we are on a very important mission at the moment."

"Can't tell me the specifics, huh?" Annie winked.

"Believe me," Katrina sighed, "you're best not knowing even if I wanted to tell you."

"That bad, aye?"

Katrina momentarily brought her hand to slide down the side of her face. "But enough of that," she moved on. "How have you been?"

"Fair," Annie shrugged. "Doin' the best I can in keepin' this pub goin' along with helpin' my sister with this li'l bugga."

Katrina gave a sad smile in reply.

"Actually," Annie began again, "could ye just hold 'im for me while I go fix myself up 'fore my shift begins?"

"Beg pardon?" Katrina asked, surprised.

"It'll only take a moment, I promise," Annie said as she put the little one in Katrina's arms.

"Wait… but… I…"

"I'll be quick as a flash."

"All right," Katrina laughed at Annie's haste as she held Samuel. "But you have to give me two rums when you get back. That was why I was here to begin with."

"Deal," Annie nodded in agreement before brushing back some stray golden curls from her face and running through a back door.

----------

"Wonder what's takin' Katrina so long," Jack thought aloud as he sat looking at his compass while Gibbs set up a table. "She's usually the fastest one t' get drinks."

"Don't know, maybe she's--" Gibbs began as he slowly looked up from the table only to spot Katrina over by the counter, "holding a baby?"

"What the blazes are ye talkin' 'bout, mate?" Jack asked confused, before standing up to see Katrina for himself.

When he found her holding the crying Samuel in her arms, he froze. Usually for something like this he would have looked at what she was doing for proof and then would have sat back down and go about what he was originally doing. However, for some reason he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

He watched as his wife gently soothed the little one until he had stopped crying. He continued to watch as the little one then began to laugh and smile as Katrina played with him – making silly faces and bouncing him in her arms.

"Captain?" Gibbs had been trying to get Jack's attention for quite some time now. "Captain?"

"Hmm?" Jack finally replied, his eyes still on Katrina.

"Everything's in order," Gibbs said before asking with concern, "Ye all right, Jack?"

"Yes," Jack said in deep thought as he watched Katrina continue to play with Samuel. "It's just that I've never seen her like that."

"Like what?" Gibbs asked, a bit lost.

"Like a mother," Jack barely said aloud. "Just look at her… she's a natural."

Gibbs turned back to look at Katrina with the baby.

"She's so beautiful," Jack said meditatively and before he knew it the scenery behind his wife transformed into the familiar image of the house by the sea. "She'd make a wonderful mother."

"Aye, she would," Gibbs agreed as he too looked on at Katrina.

Jack released a deep breath before reminding himself aloud, "As soon as I'm finished with Jones."

Gibbs gave a small smile and nod of the head, though he didn't understand what Jack was mumbling about, before taking a seat at the table. Rum had better come soon before his captain lost his mind completely.

----------

Several minutes later Katrina appeared with two bottles of rum.

"Sorry that took so long," she said as she handed one to Gibbs.

Gibbs quickly forgave her as he took up his drink with much eagerness.

"It's just that I was caught up with Ann--" Katrina tried to continue as she handed the other bottle to Jack but was immediately cut off by a strong, hungry kiss from him.

After several long moments wrapped within each other passionately, Katrina broke off the kiss abruptly as she felt sick.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" Jack asked as Katrina leaned heavily into Jack, wincing at the odd pain and dizzying feeling.

"I don't know," Katrina replied softly as she took some deep breaths. "I'm feeling a bit dizzy just as I did right after Jones had left us that one night."

Jack stayed silent at hearing this as he rubbed her back. Angry thoughts began to slowly churn in his mind. Tia Dalma and Jones were going to pay for making his wife sick.

After a minute or so the pain seemed to fade away. Katrina gently moved back from Jack so as not to lean into him so much.

"What is it?" Jack immediately asked with worry.

"Nothing," Katrina breathed a little more easily. "I feel a bit better now."

"Are ye sure, love?"

"I believe so."

Jack gave her a skeptical look.

"So, what was that all about?" Katrina asked, changing the topic.

"What was what about?" Jack replied, confused about her question.

Katrina gave a sly smile before giving Jack a sweet kiss. "What was that kiss you gave me all about?"

"Nothin'," Jack answered, failing to hide a mischievous grin in the process.

Katrina arched an eyebrow.

"You're just very beautiful… stunning really. Ye took me breath away."

"Has he already had a couple of drinks before I came?" Katrina turned to Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head as he continued to down his rum.

"What? A man can't kiss his wife whene'er he wants to?" Jack teased.

Katrina gave him a doubtful look. "Yes, but you're a bit different."

Jack simply chuckled at her as he took the rum bottle from her and pulled her to the bench against the wall.

----------

Later that evening as four men waited patiently in line in front of Gibbs to sign up to be part of the Pearl's crew, Jack was once again busy at trying to find which course to take to get to the chest.

"I want it, I want it, I want it," Jack whined quietly as he shook his compass.

Katrina, who had been curled up next to Jack watching him fight with his compass for the past several hours, let out a tired sigh.

Jack didn't take notice of her; he went on to open his compass as he had done numerous times before only to get upset once again at the compass' mixed directions that tended to always end up pointing at his wife.

"Jack," Katrina finally spoke up. "Give it a rest. It's not working."

Jack narrowed his eyes on his wife for a moment.

"Well," he began, "why don't you give it a try. After all… this chest is what'll save your dear husband."

Katrina thought to herself for a few seconds. Jack did have a good point.

Taking the compass from his outstretched hand, Katrina closed the lid and began contemplating on how badly she wanted the chest.

After a minute or so she opened the compass. The arrow pointed straight ahead of her. And yet, it began to move a second later, as if following a man across the room.

Katrina shook her head at this and closed the compass again. She needed to concentrate harder.

However, as she opened the compass again, the arrow remained pointing at the same man, though he had moved to another part of the room.

"How are we doing?" Jack checked up on Gibbs as Katrina continued to concentrate on the compass.

"Counting those four?" Gibbs sat back in his chair tired. "That gives us four."

Jack didn't seem too pleased.

"Nothin' better happen to me," Gibbs added to the pirate captain.

"I make no promises," Jack replied lightly.

Gibbs sighed. "You'd best be comin' up with a new plan, Jack, and it better not be relyin' on that compass. The whole crew knows it ain't worked since you was saved from the gallows."

Jack grimaced at this and so turned his attention back to Katrina. She had finally reopened the compass.

"So what've we got?" Jack asked seriously.

"Nothing," Katrina replied a bit irritated as she shut the compass to give it another try. "The arrow keeps pointing at that man."

"What man?" Jack asked in a jealous tone. "Maybe I should 'ave let you wear that dress here after all. Then everyone would know that you're with me."

Katrina rolled her eyes.

"It's that man," Katrina whispered to Jack. "The one at Mr. Gibbs' table. I feel like I know him."

Jack turned back over to Gibbs and saw the man. There was indeed something strangely familiar about him.

"What's your story?" Mr. Gibbs asked the man.

"My story?" the man nearly spat. "Same as your story, just one chapter behind. I became obsessed with capturing a notorious pirate… chased him across the Caribbean. I lost all perspective, I was consumed. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, my life."

"Commodore?" Gibbs came to realization.

"No, not anymore. Weren't you listening?" Norrington exclaimed as he slammed his bottle down onto the table.

The man was a mess. His uniform had become rags, his wig appeared to be a bird's nest sticking out from under his worn hat, and he was drunk as ever.

"Did you actually try sailin' through that hurricane to pursue Jack?" Gibbs asked in astonishment.

"So what is it?" the former commodore asked ignoring Gibbs' question, "Do I make your crew, or not?"

Sensing it was time to flee, Jack grabbed Katrina's hand and snuck over to a plant. There he pulled the plant out of the pot to use as a cover as he tried to proceed to the exit.

"So," Norrington pressed angrily, "am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Gibbs had somehow found it hard to speak.

Norrington didn't seem to care as he pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Jack trying to escape with Katrina at the other end of the room. "Or should I just kill you now?"

Jack came to an abrupt stop and peeked over the plant with a forced smile. "You're hired, mate!"

"Sorry," Norrington slurred as he cocked the pistol. "Old habits die and all that."

Jack stayed glued in place, unsure of what to do. To his luck, Norrington's shot went off wildly. This, however, started up a fight as Jack's four new crew members went after Norrington.

"Time to go," Jack told Gibbs.

"Aye," the first mate replied as he followed the pirate captain and Katrina.

Jack led the way up the stairs and out of the pub.


	17. New Heading

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 17**

**A New Heading**

As Jack, Katrina, and Gibbs made their way along the dock to the Pearl, a voice called after them. "Captain Sparrow!"

Jack stopped and turned around, Gibbs and Katrina doing the same. They all looked at the unknown sailor.

"Come to join me crew, lad?" Jack asked, then added, "Well, enough, welcome aboard."

Jack then turned around to continue down the dock; one arm around Katrina, swaggering all the way.

"I've come to find the man I love," the sailor proclaimed from behind.

Jack hesitated for a good moment before turning back around.

"I'm deeply flattered, son," Jack said as he quickly changed his arm to wrap around Katrina's waist tightly. "But me first and only love is the sea."

Katrina cleared her throat at hearing this.

"Er… and m'lady, Katrina," Jack swiftly corrected.

"Meaning, William Turner, Captain Sparrow."

At this, the trio looked on at her in surprise.

"Elizabeth?" Katrina asked as she began to smile brightly upon recognizing her friend.

Elizabeth nodded as Katrina flew out of Jack's grasp to exchange a hug.

As the women broke out of their embrace, Jack brought Katrina back to his side and looked over Elizabeth unsure of what to think.

"Ye know," Jack began, "those clothes don't flatter you at all, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth gave the pirate captain an incredulous look.

"It's like I've told Katrina before," Jack went on as he turned to his wife, "It's either a dress or nothing at all… and I just happen to have no dress in our cabin."

"Oh, just stop!" Norrington said as he approached the group, having finished throwing up over the side of the dock from having drunk too much. "I feel sick enough as it is."

Jack, who had only gotten as close as to brush his lips against Katrina's turned to look at the former commodore. "Well, you smell funny."

"Jack," Elizabeth brought the pirate's attention back to her. "I know Will set out to find you, where is he?"

"Darlin', I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this," Jack said straight-forward, "but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me…"

Norrington rolled his eyes over-dramatically upon hearing this. Jack stopped and gave him an annoyed look before going further, "Poor Will was press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew."

"Davy Jones?" Elizabeth echoed, not sure she could believe this.

"Oh, please," Norrington ridiculed. "The captain of the Flying Dutchman? A ship that ferries those who die at sea from this world to the next…"

"Ye look bloody awful, mate," Jack interjected. "What are ye doin' here?"

"You hired me," Norrington replied flatly. "I can't help that your standards are lax."

"Jack," Elizabeth cut in trying to keep the pirate captain focused. "All I want is to find Will."

Jack studied Elizabeth for a moment as the wheels in his head began to turn. "Are you certain? Is that what you really want… most?"

"Of course," Elizabeth replied.

"I'd think you'd want to find a way to save Will… most," Jack said with a glint of mischief in his eye.

"And you have a way to do that?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Well," Jack began to explain, "there is a chest. A chest of unknown size and origin."

"What contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones!" Pintel added into the conversation as he passed by loading cargo onto the ship.

"Thump! Thump!" Ragetti added to emphasize what Pintel had said as he beat his fist against his chest before following Pintel up the gangway.

"And whoever possesses that chest," Jack continued ignoring the men, "possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he… or she… wants. Including saving our brave William from his grim fate."

"How can we find it?" Elizabeth questioned the pirate captain, not sure yet if she believed all he was telling her.

"With this," Jack answered as he pulled something from his pocket, "This compass is unique."

"Unique here having the meaning of 'broken'?" Norrington scoffed.

Jack looked over at James a bit irritated and was held back by Katrina.

"True enough, this compass does not point north," Jack said as calmly as he could before turning to Elizabeth, "it points to the thing you want most in the world."

"Jack," Elizabeth started as she narrowed her eyes on the pirate captain. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word, love," Jack answered honestly. "What you want most in the world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will!" Elizabeth pointed out.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones," Jack added as he opened the compass that lay in her hands.

As Elizabeth closed her eyes and concentrated the needle of the compass began to rotate. Within seconds it came to a standstill.

Jack, who had been crouched down beside Elizabeth waiting for it to stop began to straighten up and look down onto the compass.

"We have our heading!" he announced.

With that, the group hurried aboard the Black Pearl.


	18. Dancing

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Also I do not own the lyrics/music of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie." Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 18**

**Dancing**

"Good to finally see ye up and about, captain," Gibbs greeted Jack as he passed the pirate stepping out of the captain's quarters. "How's the missus?"

Jack gave a quick smile. "Better now."

"Did she 'ave that sickness again this mornin'?" Gibbs asked carefully.

"Aye," Jack replied. "That's why it's nearly three when I be gettin' out o' me cabin. I accidentally fell asleep as I was tryin' to help her get some rest."

Gibbs chuckled at this.

"Anyway," Jack ignored the man as he turned to better thoughts. "She's fine. I've convinced her to put on that frilly white dress, so she should be comin' out soon."

"Glad to 'ear it, Jack," Gibbs acknowledged as he began to turn away. "I'll be seein' ye up at the helm in a bit?"

"O' course," Jack smiled brightly. "Long as I don't get too distracted with what she's wearin'."

----------

Within the hour Katrina finally emerged from the cabin with the flowing, off the shoulder dress that Jack had bought her from the Spanish colonized island that the British called Porto Rico.

As she stepped out onto the main deck, Norrington, who was mopping the deck, looked up at her in surprise.

"What on earth are you doing here?" the former commodore asked then eyed what she was wearing and the amount of exposed. "And what on earth are you wearing?"

"Well…" Katrina began but was immediately cut off by Jack as he approached her.

"Katrina!" Jack called out as he came closer.

"That's Miss Banks to you," Norrington spoke up to Jack.

Jack's brows furrowed in confusion as he turned from Katrina to face the former commodore.

"Mate," Jack chuckled. "That high-tone and fancy-to-do attitude won't help ye anymore while ye look like that."

Norrington narrowed his eyes angrily on Jack in response.

"Not to mention," Jack went on as he took up Katrina's left hand. "You've got it all wrong. She's Mrs. Sparrow and 'as been for little o'er a year now."

"Wait, so that was you last night? In those clothes?"

"Yes," Katrina replied.

"I know," Jack shook his head. "Those clothes were awful. That was my mistake. Should've let 'er go with the dress. But, now since she's wearin' one… all's better."

"You call that a dress?" James cried in disgust as he looked to Sparrow, hands gestured toward Katrina.

Jack swung his head to turn to look at Katrina and then back at the man. "It works for me."

Norrington seemed to have to bite back his tongue before changing the subject. "But I thought Katrina's father took her from you and returned to Barcelona with her."

Jack couldn't help but widen his smile. "Nope. If ye remember clearly, which apparently ye don't, her father gave his consent for us to be together that day we escaped you."

Norrington fought back the urge to strangle Jack.

Jack laughed at this before adding, "He gave us his consent again the day we got married. Just ask Elizabeth… she was there."

Norrington crossed his arms, not sure whether he could believe Jack.

"Anyway," Jack turned back to Katrina and taking her hands in his. "Are you feelin' much better now, darlin'?"

"Yes," Katrina smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You sure?" Jack asked with concern. "Ye don't need anything at all?"

"I'm fine, Jack," Katrina smiled all the more before carrying on flirtatiously, "And as long as I have you I need nothing more."

"Is that a fact?"

"Do you not believe me?" Katrina asked fluttering her eyes at him, trying to hold back laughter in the process.

"I believe ye, darlin'," Jack replied as a hint of mischief sparkled in his eyes. "But I'd like some proof of that later, savvy?"

Katrina eyed Jack in a mocking fashion. "We'll see."

Jack broke into a wide grin. "So glad to know that m'lady is feelin' better."

Katrina smiled at this and leaned in to meet Jack's lips.

"Now," Jack said as he pulled away slowly. "I need to return to the helm, but I'll be expectin' some quality time afterwards now that you're finally wearin' this dress in proof of what ye said."

"Is that so?" Katrina smirked, her hands still in his.

"Aye," Jack winked before kissing the back of her hand and heading back up the stairs, Katrina watching him all the way to the helm.

"How could you have ever married that man?" Norrington asked Katrina as soon as Jack was out of earshot.

"I beg your pardon?" Katrina retorted defensively, arms crossed over her chest.

Norrington sighed and held up his hands in surrender. "Nothing. Sorry."

Katrina simply arched an eyebrow at him before stating calmly, "Apology accepted."

"I hate to be so rude," Norrington said in almost a shy manner as Katrina was about to turn away. "But how did you two meet?"

Katrina looked at Norrington long and hard before asking, "Do you really want to know, James?"

"I'm rather curious, yes."

Katrina gave the former commodore a small smile.

"Well," she began as she gestured to walk over to the railing, "I met him after attending one of your birthday parties. It was about three years ago. Governor Swann had hosted it in his home."

As if on cue to help Norrington remember the party, Gibbs and Mr. Cotton took a seat on some crates and began playing some music; Mr. Cotton on his guitar and Mr. Gibbs on his pipe.

"Ah, yes," James smiled as he recalled the memory.

"Well," Katrina said with a hint of bitterness, "you remember that whole situation with Edward? That no one would dare dance with me that night because Edward was there keeping his eye on me?"

"Yes," Norrington replied solemnly. "I remember that you left early because you were so upset with him."

Katrina nodded. "Yes. I went straight home, though my father was still at the party. And it was there at my house that I had met Jack."

"Really?" Norrington asked curiously.

"Yes," Katrina answered. "As we fought several rounds with the sword he started up conversation. I'm not sure how many rounds it took, but we eventually talked enough to where I found middle ground with him. The swords were put away after that, and all that was left was getting to know one another."

"Interesting," Norrington breathed out quietly in thought.

Katrina didn't say anything as she turned to look out at the sea.

"Yes," Norrington spoke up again after a long moment. "I remember that party. I remember how Richard and I had asked you to dance."

Katrina rolled her eyes at this. "Yes, out of pity because of how Edward treated me."

Norrington looked down at the deck. "I apologize for that."

Katrina shook her head. "It doesn't matter now."

"At least tell me how I can make amends," Norrington looked back up, "for both Richard and I."

"What for? That was so long ago."

"I don't know," Norrington replied. "I just feel terrible now that I remember back to what had happened and feel that I should justify my actions."

"What on earth has happened to you?" Katrina turned to him in surprise.

Norrington became silent, his eyes dropping their gaze.

"I'm sorry, James," Katrina said gently as she began to wonder whether the actions he wanted to justify were for her or for himself so that he could feel a little bit like the commodore he used to be.

"Please, Katrina," Norrington began slowly, "allow me to make that up to you."

Katrina sighed and thought to let it all go until a familiar waltz began to be played by Gibbs and Cotton.

Slowly Katrina turned to face James. "You could ask me for a dance."

Norrington choked. "What? Right here? In front of all of these pirates?"

"Yes," Katrina confirmed. "Please?"

"But I'm not even properly dressed," Norrington said looking down at his ragged uniform before looking again at what Katrina was wearing, "And neither are you!"

"What does it matter, James?" Katrina said as she began to move away from the railing. "Just one dance like old times! You can show to everyone that you're still a man of stature."

Norrington hesitated as Katrina began pulling him to the open space of the deck. "I'm not even sure if I remember how to waltz… let alone dance."

Katrina came to a stop and stepped up to Norrington. "Oh come on, James, of course you know how to waltz… to dance… it's in your blood," Katrina said as she poked the former commodore in the chest. "You don't remember all those balls we used to go to?"

"Well…" Norrington began in thought as he rubbed the spot she had poked him.

"How the music filled the entire room?" Katrina asked as she gestured around them.

"I…"

"How everyone saluted to you when you entered?" she asked as she took up his arm and pretended to be escorted into a ballroom.

"Yes, well…"

"How the ladies begged to dance with you? And how the men were so jealous of you for it?" she asked now breaking away and twirling before him.

Norrington slowly broke into a smile, almost laughing. "Yes, I do. And I remember how Edward was so envious of me one time because I had received more compliments in my dancing with you than he did."

Katrina stopped twirling and gave a forced smile at Norrington, not wanting the subject of Edward to come back.

Suddenly a thought struck Norrington.

"What's wrong, now?" Katrina asked as she looked at the expression on his face.

Norrington looked up at Jack at the helm before looking back at Katrina. "Speaking of being envious, what about Jack? The last thing I need is another dilemma with that pirate."

"Look," Katrina gave in. "Jack may be a little jealous about us dancing, I will admit to that. But it's one dance, James, only one dance! This song doesn't have all that much left to be played anyway. And Jack is busy up at the helm at the moment. Come on, James, just one dance... not even a full song's worth."

Norrington seemed to slowly cave.

"Please?" Katrina pleaded again. "Just this one waltz… like old times. You said you wanted to make amends… and this is the only thing that I will accept!"

"All right, Katrina," Norrington announced as he took up her hand and led her more to the middle of the deck. "You've persuaded me."

"Good," Katrina said as they got into position and began to waltz.

As the two danced about the deck, Elizabeth emerged from below deck, having been wondering where the music had been coming from. When she saw that Katrina was dancing with Norrington, she made way up to the helm to watch from a better viewpoint.

"I can't believe that after all this time those two still dance together so beautifully!" Elizabeth chimed as her eyes continued to follow them about the deck.

"That's not real dancin'," Jack grumbled from behind the wheel after a long moment of watching.

"Of course it's real dancing," Elizabeth defended, her eyes on Norrington and Katrina. "It's a waltz."

Jack grunted in response.

"And that's how they danced it at many of the balls," Elizabeth reminisced as she leaned over the railing, her head cradled in her hands. "They were the best at it. I always wished I could be as graceful as Katrina when dancing. But the idea of dancing with a man my father wished for me to marry… ha! I refused to do such a thing! Oh, but only if there were someone else that could dance just as well…"

Hearing this sparked a fuse that had been growing in Sparrow. He immediately called one of his other crewmembers to take over the wheel and made his way down from the helm as the music came to an end.

"That was wonderful!" Jack cheered sarcastically as he made way to Katrina and Norrington, having ended the song in a curtsy and bow. "Most delightful!"

Norrington was about give his thanks when Jack suddenly spoke up again. "Now," he said extending his hand out to Katrina. "It's my turn."

Katrina gave Jack a worried look, but placed her hand in his. As soon as she did this Jack lead her strongly to the center of the deck.

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack called out to his first mate as he took off his jacket, hat, and other effects and threw them to the side. "Play for us that song from Madrid that we both love so much."

Gibbs nodded and hinted at Cotton to begin the song on the acoustic guitar. It was a slightly faster paced song than the waltz.

Jack, to Norrington and Elizabeth's surprise, was a very strong dancer. At least in this particular dance with Katrina – the way he led her and spun her around. The dance was absolutely magnificent.

"How is it possible that that pirate knows how to dance?" Norrington asked Elizabeth.

"How on earth should I know?" Elizabeth replied.

Norrington grimaced as he continued watching Jack spin Katrina about the deck.

At the end, Jack brought Katrina very close to him, face to face. He lifted her left leg from behind her knee and finished the dance by lowering her into a dip.

The two stayed in that position even after the music had stopped as all the crew applauded. Katrina was out of breath as she held that position. Her left hand extended above her head was actually resting on the deck. She could feel Jack breathing across her abdomen, his forehead pressed against her just below her chest.

When the applause finally began to die out, Jack slowly lifted Katrina back up, lowering her left leg as well. Katrina instinctively brought her lips to Jack's and closed her eyes.

"Not yet, Katrina," Jack whispered, instead of fulfilling her longing of a kiss. "I'm not quite done dancing with you."

Katrina swiftly opened her eyes. "What?"

Jack ignored her questioning as he yelled over to his first mate, "A waltz, if ye would, Mr. Gibbs."

"Aye, captain," Gibbs nodded as he and cotton, now with the help of a soft drum beat on the bongos by Marty.

"Jack, honestly," Katrina began to protest as Jack took up her hand and placed his other at her back. "There's no need to dance another waltz."

Jack, holding his head up in pride as he began to glide her about the deck, replied evenly, "Oh, but there is."

"Brilliant," Norrington spat as he watched Jack easily lead Katrina in a traditional waltz. "Is there anything this pirate can't do?"

"I'm not quite sure anymore," Elizabeth said as she tried to get over the fact of Jack being such a skilled dancer.

After several rounds about the deck, though most of the waltz was danced in front of Norrington and Elizabeth, the music finally came to an end.

As Jack helped Katrina up from her curtsy, he caught Elizabeth coming toward them from the corner of his eye. But more importantly what was in her possession that he didn't realize as of earlier.

"That was beautiful!" Elizabeth cheered as she gave Katrina a hug.

In the process of the embrace, Jack took the opportunity to take up the object she held that caught his eye – a folded leather bound.

Quickly he opened it up and found within it official documents from the East India Trading Company.

"These Letters of Marque," Jack interrupted the girls' beginnings of conversation, "are supposed to go to me, are they not?"

Elizabeth and Katrina immediately turned to Sparrow, seeing him eyeing the documents, Gibbs approaching him in the process.

"Beckett!" Gibbs gasped as he looked over Jack's shoulder.

"Yes," Elizabeth declared. "They're signed, Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company."

"Agh," Jack gagged as if he had tasted something bitter.

"Will was working for Beckett, and never said a word," Gibbs concluded to Jack.

"Agh," Jack repeated.

"Beckett wants the compass," Gibbs went on. "Only one reason for that."

"Of course," Jack thought aloud. "He wants the chest."

"Yes, he did say something about a chest," Elizabeth replied, a bit uncertain of what was going on.

"If the company controls the chest," Gibbs looked to Jack worriedly, "they'll control the sea."

"A truly discomforting notion," Jack nodded at Gibbs.

"And bad. Bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate," Gibbs added before looking about the deck. "I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails. Brace the foreyard!"

"Might I inquire as to how you came by these?" Jack turned to Elizabeth as Gibbs took off to help the crew.

Elizabeth stayed silent, averting her eyes, and shaking her head.

Jack then turned to Katrina who was standing beside her. "Did she tell you 'ow she came by these?"

Katrina hesitated for a few seconds before replying flatly, "Persuasion."

"Friendly?" Jack smirked.

"Decidedly not!" Elizabeth retorted hotly.

"Will strikes a deal for these and upholds it with honor. Yet you're the one standing here with the prize," Jack said before looking down onto the parchment in his hand. "Full pardon, commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company."

Norrington, who was but feet away going about his duties of mopping the deck, couldn't help but to overhear the good news of how he could get his life back.

"As if I could be bought for such a low price," Jack scoffed.

"Not by that kind of 'currency' you couldn't," Katrina commented with a sly smile.

Jack looked up over the documents at Katrina.

"Are you sayin' that you could buy me off?" Jack asked with a taunting crooked smile.

"From being a pirate?" Katrina teased. "Certainly not. But I'm sure I could cause a close call for you by choosing a better bargaining item."

"Hmm," Jack thought before getting back on topic. "Well, 'til somethin' like that appears, you're right, Katrina. I couldn't be bought for this low a price. Fate worse than death, living a life like that."

With that said, Jack began to gather his coat, hat, and other effects, and head to his cabin.

"Jack," Elizabeth said earnestly as she blocked his way to the doors. "The letters. Give them back."

"No," Jack said impassively as he began to push past her.

"Jack," Katrina cut him off. "Give them back to Elizabeth, she can be trusted."

Jack eyed Katrina for a long moment. He then looked over at Norrington mopping before finally replying, "Persuade me."

"What?" Katrina asked.

"You 'eard me," Jack answered seriously. "If ye could persuade ol' Norry o'er there to dance with ye just like ye did wi' him at those fancy parties, I'm sure ye can persuade me to returnin' these letters back to Lizzie."

Katrina's eyes narrowed angrily on Jack. "You must be joking."

"No, not really, darlin'," Jack stared at her gravely.

Katrina released a frustrated sigh. "If I persuade you, do you promise to give the letters back to Elizabeth?"

Jack seemed to think to himself for a second. "Aye."

Katrina nodded at this before storming over to Gibbs and whispering something to the trio of musicians.

"What is she doin'?" Jack whispered to Elizabeth, a bit confused at Katrina's reactions.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth replied, just as confused.

As Katrina returned to Jack, Gibbs, Cotton, and Marty began playing a very up-beat Spanish-influenced Caribbean tune.

"What are ye doin'?" Jack asked Katrina as she stood before him, having a bad feeling of knowing what she was about to do.

"I'm about to persuade you," Katrina said tightly before breaking out into a dance that consisted mainly of movement in her hips and abdomen.

Jack's jaw nearly fell to the floor as crew members began to call each other and gather around to watch.

After a good minute of staring at her, Jack found his voice to speak to Elizabeth, "I wish she wouldn't do this."

"Why not?" Elizabeth looked to Jack, enjoying the fact that he was going weak.

Jack turned to Elizabeth to reply with a simple glare, as if it was too much to state the obvious, before looking back at Katrina.

After a couple of turns, Katrina made her way over to Jack and began pulling him toward her to the middle of the opening within the gathered crew. Jack was forced to drop everything from his hands that he had gathered. Well, almost everything. He wouldn't let go of the documents.

"Dance with me," Katrina whispered into his ear as she danced up close to him.

"Not quite sure if I should…" Jack mumbled as he continued to hold on to the leather case.

"Nonsense," Katrina continued to whisper as she encircled him. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow."

Hearing this tore Jack in two. On the one hand he really wanted to dance with Katrina. Doing so would allow him another opportunity to show off to Norrington what a great man he was for her. However, dancing with Katrina, especially dancing this kind of dance, was also very dangerous as far as being easily persuaded. Dancing this type of dance with her always made him go weak for her. Normally this was perfectly fine with him, for it usually led on to something more. This time, though, with determination of keeping the documents for himself, dancing with her wasn't the best way to go.

In the end, although he hated the fact that he gave in so easily, Jack joined in; moving his hips along with hers to the rhythm of the music.

"I love how you dance like this. _Tu_ _pones un hombre a quierer a hablar en español_," Jack began whispering back into Katrina's ear as they danced, his hands on her hips. "_Ven aqui bonita, te ama, vamos al cuarto, solo tu y yo_."

[You make a man want to speak in Spanish. [Come here beautiful, I love you, let's go to the bedroom, just you and me.

Katrina couldn't help but to break into a smile. "_Ay cariño, cuando te hablas como eso tu pones una mujer loca. Entonces hace sensato y continuar a leer los signos de mi cuerpo_."

[Oh love, when you speak like that you make a woman crazy. So then be sensible and continue to read the signs of my body.

With that said Katrina broke away from him as she continued dancing, taunting Jack to come after her. Jack hesitated for a moment as he stuffed the leather bound into his sash before finally going after Katrina. Once he had caught up to her, Katrina encircled him again. This time she was able to have Jack much more absorbed in her movements so that she could sneakily take the documents from him. It took Jack a good couple of seconds before he realized what she had done.

"Stealing was not the agreement," Jack teased into her ear as he swiftly took the leather bound back. "You have to persuade me."

Katrina smirked at Jack before replying into his ear, "I believe I did for those couple of moments there."

Jack couldn't help but to grin as he confessed into her ear, "Yes, I admit you did persuade me… but not to want to return these documents… you persuaded me to want to do something… _else_."

Katrina looked up at Jack with disappointment. "You're not going to give the papers back?"

"Nope," Jack said as he twirled Katrina.

"Why not?" Katrina brought her face to his as the music came to an end.

"Pirate."

Katrina let out an annoyed sigh. "_¡Tu eres imposible, Jack Sparrow!_"

[You are impossible, Jack Sparrow!

Jack simply replied with a cocky expression on his face, causing Katrina to storm away from him. This only made Jack break into laughter.

"If ye don't mind, love," Jack taunted at Elizabeth as he waved the leather bound in her face. "I be the one holdin' on to these from now on."

To his relief, Elizabeth gave no argument for him taking the documents. And so leaving her and her odd, silly smile, Jack turned to go after his wife.


	19. Curiosity

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 19**

**Curiosity**

"Remind me, Mr. Gibbs," Sparrow told his first mate as they ascended the stairs to the deck in the late morning, "that when all o' this is done with Jones to go back to Tia Dalma."

Gibbs looked at his captain in surprise. "What for, Jack?"

"So I can strangle 'er for makin' me girl even more sick e'ery day since we left 'er shack!" Jack slurred angrily before mumbling, "Supposed to make her stronger…"

Gibbs' eyebrows rose up in response.

"And then make 'er give Katrina a counter-potion to the one she made 'er drink!"

"Aye," Gibbs replied, not really having an idea of what else to say as they reached the deck.

"Thank you," Jack said a bit more relaxed before turning away to head to the stairs to climb up to the helm.

However, Jack came to a stop as he approached the stairs when he saw Elizabeth with a long face sitting among the steps.

"Now don't tell me that you're feelin' under the weather, too," Jack greeted Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, who seemed to be in a daze, turned to look up at the pirate captain. "What?"

Jack sighed. "Elizabeth, are you well? Everything shipshape and Bristol fashion?"

Elizabeth simply stared at him in confusion.

Jack ignored her as he sat himself on the steps beside her. "My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled."

"I just thought I'd be married by now," Elizabeth said softly as she looked out at the sea. "I'm so ready to be married."

Jack gave a small smile. "I like marriage! It's like a wager on who will fall out of love first."

Elizabeth turned back to Jack with a glare. "That's an interesting way to view marriage coming from a married man. Tell me, does Katrina know that you view marriage this way?"

Jack held up a finger about to clarify, but Elizabeth didn't give him the chance as she stood up and walked away from him.

Jack, however, didn't let her get away easily, and so followed after her.

"Ye know… I once was a cleric of the Church of England," he began to address to Elizabeth. "I could perform a marriage right 'ere on this deck, right now. We don't necessarily 'ave to 'ave Will present. It would be fun! Just think of how happy he'll be to find out when ye meet up with him again that you two 'ave been married for a couple days!"

Elizabeth looked at Jack offended. "No, thank you."

"Why not?" Jack jeered. "You know you want to. You're thinking about the possibility."

Elizabeth didn't respond, simply turned to look over the railing.

Jack grinned at this. "See how we think alike, you and I. I and you."

"Us?" Elizabeth scoffed.

"Yes," Jack nodded, though she did not look at him. "We are a bit similar."

Elizabeth turned back to Jack with disgust. "Oh…. Except for a sense of honor, and decency and – and a moral center… and personal hygiene."

"Trifles!" Jack brushed off after looking over himself. "You will come over to my side, in time. I know it. Just like Katrina."

"Like me?" Katrina asked Jack as she appeared beside Elizabeth.

"Ah, you're feeling better!" Jack cheered before replying matter-of-factly. "Aye, just like you, love."

Katrina gave Elizabeth a doubtful look.

"And the same will 'appen to you," Jack then gestured to Elizabeth, having missed Katrina's facial expression.

"You seem quite certain," Elizabeth commented to Jack.

Jack gave a wide smile. "One word, love. Curiosity. You long for freedom just as Katrina once did. You long to do what you want because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day, you won't be able to resist."

Katrina and Elizabeth exchanged knowing looks as the pirate dramatically and slowly walked away along the canons.

As Elizabeth turned from her friend to eye Jack, a thought came to mind as she remembered an earlier situation with a certain item now in her possession. "Why doesn't your compass work?"

Jack came to an abrupt stop behind one of the canons, his gaze momentarily looking down before looking to Elizabeth and answering with a grimace, a bit offended, "Uh, my compass works fine."

While Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked away, obviously irritated, Katrina took notice of her husband's comment and – despite the wish to copy her friend – made her way to him, climbing onto the canon to address him simply, "I know your compass works fine."

Jack looked at his wife straddling the gun; an eager grin appearing on his face. "Then let's test it out, love," he said as he helped her off the canon and began escorting her toward their cabin.

"Wait," came Elizabeth's voice from behind; Jack cringed. "Because you and I are alike," she stated flatly, "there will come a moment when you have the chance to show it – to do the right thing."

Jack laughed to himself at this as he and Katrina turned around. "I love those moments! I like to wave at them as they pass by!"

"You'll have a chance to do something… something courageous," Elizabeth went on, taking a step towards Jack. "And when you do, you'll discover something."

Katrina nodded as she caught Elizabeth's eye. She turned to her husband at her side. "Something you've always refused to admit is true. Something I've known since I've met you to be true."

Jack's eyebrows came together in thought as Katrina slowly began to walk around him, her hand gliding from his chest along his body as she did so. "That you're a good man."

"All evidence to the contrary, m'ladies," Jack tried reminding them as both women walked around him in opposite directions.

"I have faith in you," Katrina whispered in the pirate's ear as she finished encircling him before meeting him face to face. "Want to know why?"

"Do tell, darlin'," he replied, trying to keep himself together.

"Curiosity," Elizabeth echoed abruptly as she, too, came in front of Jack. "You're going to want it. A chance to be admired and gain the rewards that follow."

Katrina brought her right hand to Jack's chin to turn his face from Elizabeth to look to hers. "You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know… what it tastes like."

Jack found himself unable to disagree because his lips were so dangerously close to Katrina's. Just as he began to brush back her black hair with his hand his eye caught the black spot reappearing in his palm, causing panic to shoot through him. A call from the crow's nest, "Land ho!" added to the distraction from kissing her.

Hearing this Jack shot off to the helm, grabbing a loose cloth as he did so to wrap around his left hand; Katrina and Elizabeth quickly followed. After a few moments of observation through his spyglass, Jack shakily put it away unsatisfied.

"Jack!" Katrina grabbed his arm, trying to understand why he had frantically left her. "What's wrong?"

Jack had been taking in the distance between the Pearl and the island. The fact that they were still out quite a ways in the open sea worried him about getting taken down by the Kraken.

"I want me jar of dirt."


	20. Isla Cruces

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review! And just to let everyone know for this particular chapter… the part of dialogue and little story about the mission came from the book version of this movie… so sad to say, though I changed some small things, it is not of my own creativity.

**Chapter 20**

**Isla Cruces**

"You're pullin' too fast," Pintel griped at his rowing companion as they made way to Isla Cruces.

"You're pullin' too slow," Ragetti retorted, "We don't want the Kraken to catch us."

Jack winced at the thought as he held on tighter to Katrina with one arm and his jar of dirt with the other. Elizabeth and Norrington sitting across from them ignored his frightened behavior as Katrina tried to comfort him.

"I'm savin' me strength for when it comes," Pintel explained to Ragetti, "And I don't think it's 'Krack-en,' anyways. I always heard it said 'Kray-ken.'"

Katrina let out a gasp as Jack pulled her even tighter to him from around her waist in response to Pintel's topic of conversation. It probably wouldn't have hurt so much if it weren't for Jack's hand pushing the hilt of her sword into her side.

"What, with a long 'a'?"

"Aye."

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no. Krock-en's how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian," Ragetti informed, "And Krack-en's closer to that."

"Well we ain't original Scandinavians, are we?" Pintel pointed out before adding, "Kray-ken!"

"It's a mythological creature," Ragetti snapped back, "I can calls it what I wants."

"Alright, that's enough you two!" Katrina interrupted sternly as she tried to loosen Jack's grip, "Pronunciation of the sea creature isn't anywhere near as important as avoiding it all together by getting ashore."

Ragetti and Pintel nodded their heads in agreement and began rowing faster toward the white-sand beach.

----------

The moment they hit the shallow waters of the beach, Jack jumped out of the boat, pulling Katrina out with him in the process. As everyone else began to climb out Jack removed his jacket, which held the Letters of Marque, and placed it back into the boat alongside his jar of dirt. He then grabbed the shovels that they had carried with them.

"I presume you are feeling better?" Katrina asked Jack as he pulled the shovels out of the boat.

Jack turned to his wife with a wide grin, "Of course, darlin'… never 'ave I been better."

Katrina smiled at him having finally seen him somewhat relaxed.

"Guard the boat, mind the tide," Jack instructed Pintel and Ragetti, "Don't touch my dirt."

With a salute from his crewmen, Jack turned to Elizabeth and gave her the compass.

"I didn't expect anyone to be here," the former commodore said when he saw an abandoned church as they followed Elizabeth up the beach.

"There's not," Elizabeth replied.

"You know this place?" Norrington looked to her astounded.

"Stories," Katrina clarified as Norrington turned to her in surprise as well, "The Church came to the island, and brought salvation, and disease and death. They say the priest had to bury everybody, one after the other. It drove him mad, and he hung himself."

"Better mad with the rest of the world than sane alone," James commented.

Elizabeth and Katrina looked at the former commodore in shock for his response did not match that of the man they once knew.

"No fraternizing with help, loves," Jack mentioned to the ladies when he saw their reaction to Norrington's comment.

Elizabeth ignored Jack as she saw that the needle of the compass was beginning to turn this way and that and slowly came to a stop.

"Is it here?" Jack suddenly asked when Elizabeth stopped walking.

"Well," Elizabeth said as the needle seemed to stop at a different direction, "I'm not quite sure."

"Told you that compass was broken," Norrington sneered.

Jack didn't talk back as he watched Elizabeth with amusement. He and Katrina were now standing to one side of her among the sand dunes as she walked about indecisive of where to go.

"Just concentrate," Jack called out to her as Norrington, on the other side of her, rolled his eyes as he leaned against his shovel.

Elizabeth stood still, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate. When she opened her eyes she found the arrow pointing directly at Jack; it wasn't the first time that the arrow had done this to her.

"That's not what my heart wants most," she grumbled to herself before plopping down onto the sand.

As Jack and the others began to approach her, the arrow of the compass began to spin rapidly.

"This doesn't work," Elizabeth whined to Jack when he reached her, the arrow having come to stop, pointing at her, "And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."

Jack looked down at his compass, "Yes it does! You're sitting on it!"

"Beg your pardon?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"Move!" Jack shooed Elizabeth as he took up a shovel and motioned to Norrington to do the same, "Move! Move!"

Elizabeth quickly stood back up and got out of Jack's way over by Katrina.


	21. Fight Begins

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 21**

**The Fight Begins**

After much digging, Norrington and Jack hit a solid object. With great interest in what they had found, the two men quickly dug around the object. In minutes they pulled a large wooden trunk.

Jack immediately bashed the trunk's lock open with his shovel. He then threw open the lid as Katrina, Elizabeth, and Norrington gathered around. The trunk was full of letters, jewelry, and dried up flowers. However, Jack wasn't interested in any of those things. He simply dug threw all those items until he found what he had been looking for.

Carefully Jack pulled out a small chest and set it before himself on the sand. To everyone's surprise, save for Jack, a quiet pulse could be heard beating steadily from within the chest.

"It's real!" Elizabeth cried out, astonished.

Katrina fell onto the sand beside Jack and threw her arms around him as she whispered into his ear, "Now all you need is the key!"

"You actually were telling the truth," Norrington remarked, his eyes wide in amazement.

Jack looked up at the former commodore. "I do that quite a lot. Yet people are still surprised."

"With good reason," a familiar voice called out from behind the group.

Everyone turned around to find Will making his way toward them across the small sand dunes.

"Will!" Elizabeth cheered as she ran to him. "You're all right! Thank God! I came to find you!"

Will swiftly took Elizabeth into his arms and kissed her passionately.

As the three by the chest looked on, Jack looked over at Norrington from the corner of his eye. Just as he thought, James was not a very happy man at the moment. And so, with a wicked smirk on his face, Jack turned to give Katrina a kiss of the same, if not greater, passion. James looked away hurt and disgusted.

"I can see you're taking after Katrina's wardrobe now," Will teased Elizabeth, gesturing at Katrina in her seafaring clothes, once they had broken their kiss.

Elizabeth smiled happily back. "What and you don't like how I look in these clothes?"

"I said nothing of the sort," Will replied playfully.

Elizabeth laughed lightly and gave Will another kiss.

As Will put his arm around her waist he came in contact with the sword she had strapped on. Looking down at it and then over at Katrina who also was armed with a sword, he couldn't help but break into a wider smile.

"I think Katrina is a bad influence on you," Will taunted, "for you've never armed yourself with a sword before."

Elizabeth smirked at her fiancée. "When it comes to a sword, you're the only one that has been the bad influence on me."

Will simply laughed as he pulled her into a tighter embrace.

Katrina swiftly broke her long kiss with Jack as the familiar pain in her abdomen came about.

"Not again," Jack whined when he realized what was wrong, allowing Katrina to lean heavily into him. "Are ye sure you're all right?"

Katrina didn't reply as she took several deep breaths. A moment later the pain was gone and she pulled slightly away from Jack so that she stood on her own.

"Yes," Katrina smiled up at Jack weakly. "I'm fine now."

Jack simply gave a small nod, for this was not the first time that day that this had occurred. However, as much as he wanted so badly to deal with the situation of Katrina's sickness he knew it would have to wait. He needed to get Jones' heart first. That meant he needed the key. And that meant he needed Will.

Standing with Katrina, Jack turned to his good friend the blacksmith. "How did ye get 'ere?"

"Sea turtles, mate," Will grinned. "A pair of them, strapped to my feet."

Jack broke into wide smile at hearing this from Will. "Not so easy, is it?"

"No," Will laughed. "But I do owe you thanks, Jack."

"You do?" Jack asked, a bit perplexed.

"After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones--"

"What?" Elizabeth interrupted looking to Jack with great anger.

"What?" Jack echoed Elizabeth in a squeaky voice.

"…I was reunited with my father."

Jack didn't like the look Elizabeth was giving him, but nonetheless replied timidly, "Oh! Well… you're welcome, then."

"Everything you said to me," Elizabeth began as she glared over at Jack, "Every word was a lie!"

"Pretty much," Jack said matter-of-factly. "Time and tide, love."

Before Elizabeth could have another say, Jack turned to Will who was now kneeling before the small chest with Davy Jones' key in his hand.

"Oi! What're you doing?" Jack asked from above.

"I'm going to kill Jones," Will replied plainly.

Within the second Will answered, Jack brought his blade to Will's neck.

"Can't let you do that, William," Jack said calmly. "'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his beastie off the hunt, eh? Now, if you please – the key."

Just as fast as Jack had pulled out his sword, Will stood up and pulled out the sword that Elizabeth still wore at her waist. He then held it up in defense against Jack.

"I keep the promises I make, Jack" Will said as he kept a steady aim at Jack, preparing for a duel. "I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

Before Jack could make a comment, Norrington suddenly pulled out his rapier against Will. "I can't let you do that, either. So sorry."

Jack turned to Norrington with a happy smile. "I knew you'd warm up to me eventually."

Norrington, however, immediately moved his sword threateningly at Jack as well. "Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest."

"No," Katrina cried out. "We need to destroy the heart so Jack can be seat free."

Norrinton, eyes still fixed on Jack, shook his head. "If I deliver it, I get my life back."

"Ah," Jack said in a sad manner realizing that Norrington had overheard his conversation with Elizabeth about the documents. "The dark side of ambition."

"Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption," Norrington clarified.

With that said, Norrington began attacking. The other two quickly followed suit. However, every man seemed to be for himself.

"You look awful," Will said bluntly looking over Norrington's current state.

"Granted," Norrington said curtly. "But you're still naïve. You should know that Jack just wants Elizabeth for himself."

"What? No, I don't!" Jack let out, "If anybody wanted someone's somebody it was you wantin' my Katrina!"

"That's not true!" Norrington argued back.

"Is that so?" Jack snapped back.

Furious, Norrington charged forward toward Will and Jack. In the nick of time the two men jumped out of the way in opposite directions. The moment they landed, Will took off to Elizabeth and Jack took off to Katrina.

"Guard the chest!" Will and Jack said in unison to their ladies standing beside the chest of Davy Jones.

Realizing what the other had done, Will and Jack broke out in clashing their swords against each other.

"No!" Elizabeth and Katrina yelled back at Will and Jack.

However, the men didn't hear what they had to say as Norrington joined in their fight across the sand dunes.

"This is barbaric!" Elizabeth shouted on as she and Katrina tried running a bit after them.

"This is not how grown men settle their affairs!" Katrina added nearly at the top of her lungs.

"Oh! Fine!" Elizabeth went on. "Let's just pull out our swords and start banging away at each other! This will solve everything! I've had it! I've had enough! Wobbly-legged, rum-soaked… pirates!"

The fighting men did not pay attention to a word the women yelled out to them. They seemed to be too absorbed in their own competitive world.

"Will!" Elizabeth tried calling out.

"Jack!" Katrina called out as well, as she and Elizabeth watched the fight progress further and further away from them.

"William Turner!"

"Jack Sparrow, stop this at once!"

----------

"Do you hear that, Norrington?" Jack jeered as he continued to fight off him and Will.

"No. What?" Norrington replied tightly as he tried lounging at the pirate captain.

Jack didn't say anything for a moment until the three men could here the continuous yelling from the women.

"There isn't a lass callin' out for ye."

Will couldn't help but to chuckle at what Jack said.

"Elizabeth is callin' out for Mister Turner," Jack gestured with his head at Will, "and my Katrina is callin' out for me. But I don't believe I hear anyone callin' out for you."

Norrington's face grew hot with anger and he swiftly began attacking with greater effort.

Elizabeth and Katrina, now far from the chest and busy with their continuous yelling, didn't realize that Pintel and Ragetti were sneaking to the chest.

"Oh, I give up on them! They're absolutely hopeless!" Elizabeth declared to Katrina exasperated.

"Men!" Katrina concluded as she too crossed her arms before a thought came to her mind.

"What if you pretended to have a fainting spell?" Katrina suggested to Elizabeth. "Doesn't that usually work for you?"

Elizabeth smiled at the idea. "I'd say it's worth a try."

"Oh!" Elizabeth suddenly cried out as she brought a hand to her forehead. "The heat! I can't breath!"

In a second Elizabeth collapsed onto the sand.

"Oh, Elizabeth!" Katrina exclaimed as she rushed over to her friend. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth gave no answer.

Katrina turned to yell at the dueling trio, "Will! I think Elizabeth has fainted! She's not breathing!"

Both women waited to see if any of the men would come to them, but instead the three continued they're fighting far out among the dunes.

Katrina let out an annoyed sigh as she too collapsed to sit in the sand beside Elizabeth, who gave up her act and was now sitting up staring at Will.

"Don't they even care?" Elizabeth asked, irritated.

Katrina rolled her eyes. However, as she turned to respond back to Elizabeth she caught sight of Pintel and Ragetti running off with the chest.

"Hey!" Katrina yelled out as she took off after the pirates as they headed into the foliage. A moment later Elizabeth ran after her.


	22. After the Key

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 22**

**After the Key**

As Katrina and Elizabeth ran after Pintel and Ragetti, the fight between Norrington, Will, and Jack had grown tremendously. They had traveled so much during their battle that they were bordering where the greenery of the island began.

Jack at the moment stepped out of Norrington's way as he shoved Will back. The blow was a bit harder than Will had anticipated for and so when he lost his balance he accidentally lost his grip on the key. Jack noticed this and immediately caught it in mid-air before dashing off madly through the thick grass toward the abandoned church.

It took James and Will a good few seconds to realize what Jack had done. But the moment they had gathered their strength they took off after the pirate captain.

Jack was surprised that the other two men had gained so much ground in so little time, for when he reached the church they were merely feet behind him.

Not sure of what to do, Jack fled up the stairs. Norrington however caught up to him quickly and began fighting him as he tried to climb upward.

Norrington was impatient in clashing swords with Jack. Easily he shoved Jack against a wall and then with the hilt of his sword bashed Jack's hand that held the key. Jack instinctively released the key and it fell to the ground. Norrington then pushed Jack off the open staircase. Jack swiftly took hold of the rope dangling from the bell tower.

As the rope he held began to lower him to the ground, Will down below gripped the rope being pulled upward and passed Jack as he was being lifted upward. On the way up to the bell tower, Will grabbed the key from Norrington as he passed by him on the stairs.

By then the bell of the church was ringing profusely. Jack and Norrington hurried up to the top of the church.

By the time Jack had reached the other two men on the roof, Norrington had possession of the key. Jack, however, with light fingers snatched it away by the string it was tied to as Norrington was preoccupied with fighting Will.

It didn't take Norrington too long before he noticed the key was gone from his hand. When he did, he pivoted toward Jack and rapidly disarmed the pirate, the cutlass knocked from his hand to the ground below.

"Do excuse me while I kill the man who ruined my life," Norrington pardoned himself from his duel with Will.

"Be my guest," Will replied in giving Norrington full permission to do as he wished.

Jack, on the other hand, lifted a finger with disagreement.

"Let us examine that claim for a moment, former commodore, shall we?" Jack began to test.

Will couldn't help to grin at Jack's attempt to win Norrington's favor and thus be let loose.

"Who was it, at the very moment you had a notorious pirate safely behind bars, saw fit to free said pirate, and take your dearly beloved all to hisself, eh? So who's fault is it, really, that you've ended up a rum-pot deckhand that takes orders from pirates?"

"Enough!" Norrington broke in, slashing his sword at Jack.

Jack quickly jumped out of the way and rolled off the roof in a few somersaults, landing just beside his sword on the ground.

Norrington with great fury turned angrily back at Will.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Turner," Norrington spat, his sword threatening Will, "he's right."

Jack heard what Norrington said to Will. "Still rootin' for you, mate!" he yelled up to Norrington as he took up the key began to walk casually away from the church.

Norrington and Will began their fighting again as Jack walked through the cemetery to return to the beach. Norrington advanced on Will so much that the two of them ended up fighting a top the wheel of a dried out water mill. The frequency of their movements freed the old wooden wheel from the church, rolling freely. Oddly this didn't seem to have any effect on the fight between Will and Norrington.

Jack had no idea of what was going on behind him as he continued to walk through the cemetery. However, he found out soon enough after stumbling into an empty grave. As he stood up and looked about as to where he was and how to get out, the rolling wheel with Norrington and Will came up from behind him and hoisted him up between twp panels.

The pirate captain was a bit confused on what had just happened, for he was now stuck. He found himself watching the key he had put around his neck gradually begin to slip off his head as he rotated with the wheel. He struggled for a moment until his arms were free and then tried reaching for the key. This didn't work too well for as he tried reaching he instead fell into the inner part of the wheel. He then bent down and paced after the key. He tried getting a hold of it as it repeatedly kept falling from the highest position it could be at within the wheel.

Soonafter, despite his fighting with Norrington, Will caught sight of what Jack was doing. He made an attempt to grab the key when it came close to him, but it was difficult as he tried to defend himself from Norrington.

Eventually the string the key was tied to caught on a nail, which allowed Jack to take up the key. But having the key in possession didn't last long. As Jack stood up straight he was hit in the forehead by one of the inner structural bars of the wheel. His hand automatically relaxed, dropping the key within the wheel again, as his body fell out of the wheel onto the ground.

It took a few moments to shake himself off, but once he did, Jack took off after the escaping wheel.


	23. Wheel of Fortune

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 23**

**Wheel of Fortune**

While Jack tried catching up to the runaway wheel, Katrina and Elizabeth had finally caught up to Pintel and Ragetti cutting them off the path they were taking.

"Put down the chest!" Katrina ordered as she pulled her sword and aimed it at Ragetti.

"Aye, Mrs. Sparrow," Ragetti said shakily as he and Pintel obeyed.

However, as the two pirates straightened up from putting the chest on the ground they, too, pulled out their blades.

"'Ello, poppet," Pintel smiled wickedly at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth quickly turned to take her sword, only to find her scabbard empty. It was then she remembered that Will had taken it.

The two pirates laughed at Elizabeth finding herself unarmed and began to advance toward the women. Then, just as they raised their swords to attack, a loud crashing sound came about a little ways over from one side of them. The four turned to see what was coming.

Within seconds a giant wooden wheel appeared rolling through the trees.

"Will?" Elizabeth asked, surprised as she noticed him fighting Norrington at the top of the wheel as it spun.

"Jack?" Katrina inquired as she watched her husband catch up to the side of the wheel and jump inside of it.

Once the wheel had passed, the women turned back to look at the pirates. Pintel and Ragetti simply shrugged before advancing once again.

Then before a sword could be swung again, something whizzed by them. They immediately looked to a tree to left of Pintel. Embedded in the tree was a wet axe with what appeared to be barnacles growing on it.

Elizabeth and Katrina fearfully turned around to discover some of Jones' crew charging toward them.

Katrina tried to stand her ground as Elizabeth, not having a weapon, made her way behind her. As Elizabeth then squeezed her way between the two pirates in order to get behind them, Pintel and Ragetti released their hold on their swords, leaving them to her. The two pirates then picked up the chest and took off running. Katrina and Elizabeth immediately followed suit, swords in their hands.

However, the running from the Dutchman's crew didn't last long as Pintel and Ragetti tried to run around opposite sides of a palm tree with the chest between them. The chest hit the trunk of the tree and fell to the ground as the two pirates and women came to a halt just past it.

The group of four looked from the chest to Jones' crew rushing up to them. They knew they had to put up a fight in order to save the chest. And so, as one the cursed members of Jones' crew brought his sword onto Elizabeth, she expertly crossed the two swords she had in defense before following with an attack. Katrina swiftly joined in fighting other crew members as they continued their heavy advancement.

Among their fighting, Elizabeth, Katrina, Pintel, and Ragetti found themselves running further and further away from the chest. They fought as best they could for being outnumbered and short of a sword. Though only minutes ago the two pirates seemed to have been opposed to the women, the four helped each other in tossing the swords to one another as needed.

----------

During all of this, Jack, Will, and James were still fighting over the key, though now inside the wheel rather than on top of it. The key continuously exchanged hands as they fought within the spinning wheel. Eventually, Jack tore the key from the string that dangled from Will's grasp. Jack then quickly maneuvered to the outside of the wheel, riding along until he reached the top. Once there, Jack jumped up and took hold of a large palm frond. It was perfect timing on his part, for unknowingly, beyond that point it was all a down hill slope to the shore.

After dangling for a moment, the palm leaf gave way to Jack's weight, falling to the ground. Jack landed proficiently on both feet with a few coconuts at their sides, but more importantly with the key still in his possession.

As Jack looked up from where he had landed, he caught sight of one of Jones' men running between the trees with the chest. Jack swiftly picked up a coconut and launched it at the running man's head, causing it to be knocked off and the chest to fall to the ground once again.

Jack then made is way to the chest with the key in his hand. As Jones' beheaded crewmember tried to put himself back together, Jack inserted the key into the lock of the chest and opened it. Finding the heart of Davy Jones still beating inside the chest, Jack grabbed the long-awaited treasure, stuffed it into his shirt, closed the chest, and then fled to the beached longboat as a loud crashing broke through the foliage.

Once Jack reached the boat, he hurriedly seized his jar of dirt. He removed the lid and some of the dirt in order hide and cover up the heart he had taken from the chest. Not a moment too soon after pouring the removed dirt back into the jar and replacing the lid did Jack find himself having to fight against one of Jones' crew members.

As Jack fought the cruel man, Elizabeth, Katrina, Pintel, and Ragetti came across the chest as they fought off the Dutchman's pirates. Pintel and Ragetti immediately took up the chest, and the four of them ran toward the beach with Jones' men at their heels.

Coming upon the sand and nearing the longboat, Elizabeth and Katrina faced their attackers while Pintel and Ragetti scurried to the boat.

Elizabeth found herself quite lucky as two of the three men she was fighting off were swept away by the speeding wheel Will and Norrington had been fighting within.

As the wheel rolled among the shallow waters it quickly lost momentum and fell to the side. Will and James, who had given up on fighting each other once the wheel lost control on its roll down hill, tried making their way out of the inner part of the wheel to join in the fight. However, their bodies' ability at that moment was hindered due to great dizziness.

As Will repeatedly fell into the water from his wobbly legs, Norrington seemed to gain better balance and ran over to the longboat. There he dug in Jack's coat until he found the leather bound that held the Letters of Marque. He then looked to the side of it, his eyes scanning across one of the seats dusted with dirt. It was then that he took special notice of the Jack's jar of dirt.

Eventually Will made it over to the longboat, just as Norrington made his way in fighting against Jones' men, stopping Pintel and Ragetti from their spontaneous and desperate attempt to flee on their own with the chest for themselves. As the pirates attempted to fight him off with an oar and fishnet, Will ignored them and turned his attention to the closed chest, the key was in the lock. Before he could question anyone, Jack knocked him out with an oar.

"Jack!" Katrina accused her husband.

"What?" Jack shrugged. "He did that to me first when he left me behind wi' Barbossa in Isla de Muerta."

Elizabeth only saw Will when he collapsed onto the boat, half in, half out. She immediately ran to his side.

"Leave him lie!" Jack called to Elizabeth. "Unless you plan on using him to hit something with."

It was then when Elizabeth turned back around that she realized how bad the situation was. Norrington, Pintel, and Ragetti were to her right. Will, Jack, and Katrina were to her left. Jones' crew had cornered them against the longboat and the sea.

"We're not getting out of this," Elizabeth whined aloud.

"Not with the chest," Norrington stated before ordering to the others, "Into the boat."

Elizabeth shook her head, "You're mad!"

"Don't wait for me," he emphasized as he took up the chest and ran toward the tropical foliage of the island, all of Jones' crew members dashing after him.

"Uh," Jack said uncertainly as they all watched Norrington drive away Jones' crew, "I say we respect his final wish."

"Aye!" Pintel agreed.

With that those of the Black Pearl jumped into the longboat and rowed as fast as they could back to the ship.


	24. Confrontation

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 24**

**Confrontation**

"Now, love," Jack began once he and Katrina were aboard the Pearl, "Why don't you go put on one o' those pretty dresses your dear husband got for you in celebration of our li'l victory. Preferably the blue one, if ye don't mind."

"But what about James?" Katrina asked breathlessly.

"He's strong. He'll be fine." Jack paused as he grabbed Katrina's waist, pulling her against his body. "Now, if you please, love. I'd like t' celebrate properly."

Katrina gave Jack a small smirk and a kiss, then dashed away to their cabin. Turning about, Jack then began taking a walk about the ship; giving orders to those that weren't getting the Pearl out of the shallow waters fast enough.

"You're pulling too hard!" Pintel protested to Ragetti as Jack walked by to see how everything was being tended to.

"You're not pulling hard enough!" Ragetti naturally snapped back.

Jack ignored the men, too confident, happy, and relieved at the moment.

"Where's the commodore?" Gibbs approached Sparrow, having taken notice of the lack of the presence of James.

"He fell behind," Jack stated simply as his eye caught Katrina slowly coming out of their cabin.

Without waiting for Gibbs' comment, Jack flew to his wife's side and then began to lead her up to the helm.

"My prayers be with him," Gibbs said quietly before running after Jack and Katrina. "Best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is: you're back. And made it off free and clear."

"Yes, thank goodness," Katrina smiled up at Jack.

"And with you still at me side," Jack smiled back before looking to Gibbs. "Doesn't she just look radiating, Mr. Gibbs? Positively glowing?"

Gibbs gave a gentle smile. "Aye, she does, captain."

Katrina laughed lightly. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Gibbs, but I think we all can see the obvious fact that this dress is too snug for me."

"Ah, but, darlin', I already told ye… that's just how I like it," Jack whispered into her ear quickly before Gibbs told her that he could tell nothing of the sort.

"Perhaps you can conjure up some music for song and dance so that we may celebrate a bit before Jones decides to make himself present?"

"Certainly, captain," Gibbs saluted as Will and Elizabeth came to his side.

"Jack," Will began, "Where's the heart of Jones? Did Norrington take it?"

Before Jack could answer, an enormous splashing and crashing of waves distracted their attention. The Flying Dutchman had just surfaced alongside the Pearl.

"Lord Almighty," Gibbs prayed with panic. "Deliver us."

Jack paid no attention to Gibbs.

"I'll handle this, mate," Jack reassured the man before letting go of Katrina and grabbing his jar of dirt.

"Oi! Fishface!" Jack called out to Davy Jones as he strutted about the helm with his jar of dirt. "Lose something? Hey! Scungilli…!"

Before any of his crew could have warned him, Jack had fallen down the steps from the helm to the main deck.

"Jack!" Katrina called out as she gathered her dress and ran down the same steps.

"Got it!" Jack announced triumphantly, holding the big jar of dirt over his head.

At seeing Jack perfectly fine, Katrina slowed her pace and instead walked up to him, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git? Look what I got," Jack jeered at Jones before breaking out into song, Katrina now beside him. "I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it?"

At this, the Flying Dutchman's cannons emerged into view. Jack's face fell.

Katrina instinctively got behind her husband and wrapped her arms around him, partially in fear and partially in protest for him to stop pestering their enemy.

"Hard to starboard," Jack said in a low voice to Katrina.

Katrina immediately turned to yell at the crew, "Hard to starboard!"

"Brace up the foreyard!" Will shouted from the helm.

"Hard to starboard!" repeated Gibbs as he hustled the crew.

As the Pearl quickly maneuvered in a turn away from Jones' ship, the Dutchman began putting large gaping holes into its stern.

"She's on us! She's on us!" Pintel cried as he looked through what used to be an enormous window in the Sparrows' cabin, seeing the Dutchman trying to gain up on the Pearl.

By this time, Jack had finally made his way back up to the helm with his jar of dirt in hand. He took over Gibbs' position at the wheel and turned the ship to align with the wind.

"She's falling behind!" Katrina informed Jack happily.

"Aye, and we've got her!" Gibbs added.

"We're the faster?" Will asked Gibbs in confusion.

"Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us," Gibbs explained. "That's how she takes her prey. But with the wind…"

"We rob her advantage," Will finally understood.

"Ah!" Gibbs acknowledged.

"They're giving up! Yay!" Marty exclaimed happily, other crewmembers of the Pearl joining in on the cheer.

"My father is on that ship," Will faced Jack, interrupting the captain's kiss with his wife. "If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should turn and fight."

"Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs…" the pirate captain pointed out as he tapped the lid of his jar as it sat on the railing in front of the wheel, "is the proper leverage."

Suddenly the Black Pearl came to an abrupt stop, causing Jack's jar of dirt to fall from the railing to the main deck, shattering into pieces, dirt everywhere.

Jack instantly ran down to the broken jar and began searching for the heart among the dirt.

"Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" Jack breathed anxiously.

"We must've hit a reef!" Pintel called out.

"No, it's not a reef!" Will said strongly as he pulled Elizabeth from curiously looking over the side of the ship. "Get away from the rail!"

"What is it?" Elizabeth inquired worriedly to Will.

"The Kraken," Will replied before yelling to the crew, "To arms!"

"All guns, defend the masts!" Gibbs ordered.

"It'll attack the starboard. I've seen it before. Break out the cannons and hold for my signal."

"Jack?" Katrina whined, now at her husband's side. "Did you hear what Will just said?"

Jack stood up quickly and took Katrina's hands in his. "Yes, I did."

"What are we to do, Jack?"

Jack's mind was at that moment working frantically of what to do… that is, what to do about retrieving Jones' heart. Perhaps it was lying on the beach, having fallen from the longboat? Or, perhaps Norrington did indeed take it for himself? Most likely he'd still be on that island.

"Jack?" Katrina whined again, bringing Jack out of his thoughts.

Jack looked into Katrina's pleading dark brown eyes with his mind already set on what to do.

Taking her arm in his, Jack led her in the direction of where the longboat was. "Come with me."


	25. Follow Your Heart

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 25**

**Follow Your Heart**

"Jack?" Katrina looked from the longboat to her husband. "What are we doing? You're not abandoning the Pearl are you?"

"No, of course not, love," Jack replied affectionately as he helped her aboard the little boat. "Just trust me."

Katrina gave Jack a doubtful look as he climbed in and began to lower the longboat into the water.

"Jack, what is going on? I thought you had this all figured out and all taken cared of because you had Jones' heart."

Jack didn't answer as he freed the longboat from the Pearl and began rowing hurriedly toward the island, trying very hard to ignore the sight of a tentacle arm gliding through the waters toward them.

"Jack!" Katrina snapped him into attention as he continued to row. "What is going on?"

Jack didn't reply immediately as the boat unexpectedly rocked severely one way and then back the other way. Apparently there were now two tentacle arms tugging at the longboat.

The pirate captain swiftly brought about his sword, cutting into each arm until they finally were injured enough that they surrendered back into the sea. Jack then took up the oars and continued in a rushed manner toward Isle Cruces.

"Nothin', darlin'," Jack gave a small smile as they continued their voyage as if nothing had happened. "Just a small mishap that needs t' be mended quickly. No worries. We'll be back on the Pearl before ye know it, savvy?"

"Jack?" Katrina pressed slowly, having finally caught her breath from the small attack by the sea monster. "Do you or do you not have Jones' heart?"

"Literally or figuratively?" Jack tried sub-siding the question by repeating Ragetti's question to Tia Dalma.

"Jack Sparrow!" Katrina folded her arms angrily.

"That's 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, love," Jack sweetly pointed out, still rowing as fast and as hard as he could. He could easily see past Katrina at all the Kraken's tentacles crawling up the sides of his ship a good distance away. At least the ones that had tried going after them were now out of reach.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't have it," Jack sighed. "Because technically I couldn't find it."

"What?"

"I don't know, love. I put it in the jar o' dirt, but ye saw the mess when the jar fell… there weren't any heart there."

"What do you mean that you couldn't find Jones' heart?" Katrina cried out as she stood up in the boat.

"I told ye, I don't know," Jack answered exasperated.

"But Jack, how can you do this? How can you simply leave your ship and crew behind?"

"But, darlin', I need that heart!" Jack defended.

"Jack look at the Pearl! Look at what is happening to her!" Katrina exclaimed as she gestured to the ship behind her, the tentacles of the Kraken destroying the ship bit by bit. "The Black Pearl needs her captain far more than you are in need of the heart of Davy Jones right now!"

"But, Katrina, ye don't understand," Jack complained as he turned to look at the island just behind him. "That heart is me freedom… me immortality."

"Immortality?"

Jack didn't answer.

"Jack!" Katrina called to her husband, bringing his attention back to her. "There are people on board that ship that are dying because they're defending _your_ ship! All of those people on the Pearl are innocent of your debt with Jones and yet _they_ are the ones fighting and suffering!"

"I know what you're trying to do, Katrina," Jack huffed in frustration trying to stay calm, "but it's not going to work. I'm a pirate, remember?"

Katrina shook her head in disagreement.

"Jack Sparrow," she said softly as she gently placed her right hand at the side of his face. "_My_ Jack Sparrow. You're a good man. You have a good heart. Follow it."

Jack narrowed his eyes curiously on his wife, not quite understanding what she was getting at. Katrina rolled her eyes in reaction to him being clueless and instead took Jack's compass from his belt and placed it in his hand.

"You obviously don't know what you want most," Katrina commented once she let go of the compass.

"But the heart of Jones, Katrina," Jack whined again, torn between fulfilling his spontaneous pursuit after it or obeying his wife to look at the compass.

"Jack," Katrina sighed as she finally sat down again. "The only thing you need to know and follow is your own heart… the heart of Jack Sparrow."

Jack still looked unsure. After all, he had already rowed the longboat out this far, why not go ahead and continue on? The heart may very well be resting on the sand; being washed by the waves of the sea.

"Come, _corazon_," Katrina brought the pirate captain out of his thoughts. "Tell me what the compass points to. I vow to go with you whichever direction it points to."


	26. Abandon Ship

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 26**

**Abandon Ship**

As she climbed over the railing, Jack right behind her, Katrina's eyes widen at the horrific scene before her: men being killed in effort to defend the ship from the Kraken. Once on deck she took a step forward as if to run to Gibbs but immediately stopped in her tracks as she saw another crew member hold up a gun to shoot at a dangling load of gunpowder crates. However, not even a second later a tentacle grasped his legs, dragging him away to the sea while his gun was flung to the top of the stairs that led to the helm.

Not wasting another moment, Katrina shot off past Elizabeth up the stairs. As she reached the final step and was about to grab the rifle, a large black boot stepped onto it.

"Jack!" Katrina recognized the boot as she struggled to pull his foot off the weapon. "Remove your foot so I can shoot the load!"

Jack, who had finally looked down at his wife and Elizabeth just a step below her, removed his foot and took up the gun. Once he had adjusted his aim, Jack pulled the trigger; his timing perfect as Will finally fell free from the net to the deck below. Katrina held onto Jack's leg as his shot struck a crate of gunpowder, causing an enormous explosion. A moment later the many scorched tentacles of the Kraken quickly lowered back down into the sea.

"Did we kill it?" Marty asked Gibbs as they emerged out of the rubble from the explosion.

"No. We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet," Gibbs answered with a cringe before turning to Jack coming down from the helm with Katrina and Elizabeth. "Captain! Orders?"

"Abandon ship," Jack said plainly as he threw the rifle onto the deck. "Into the longboat."

"Jack!" Gibbs gasped. "The Pearl!"

"She's only a ship, mate," Jack replied as Katrina took up his hand in hers.

"He's right," Katrina agreed softly. "We have to head for land."

"'s a lot o' open wa'er," Pintel said worriedly as he looked from the railing of the ship to the shore of the island.

"That's a lot o' wa'er," Ragetti echoed.

"We have to try," Will offered. "We can get away as it takes down the Pearl."

"Abandon ship," Gibbs nodded. "Abandon ship or abandon hope."

As the crew began to gather supplies to load up the long boat, Jack, still holding onto Katrina's hand, looked about his beloved ship one last time.

"I'm proud of you, Jack," Katrina said gently as she stepped in closer to the pirate captain. "You see? You are a good man."

Jack turned and gave his wife a small smile. "I know. You've always been right about knowing that."

Jack then turned to look back at what had once been their cabin.

"Good memories in there," Jack sighed as he wrapped his arm around Katrina's waist. "Good memories all about this ship."

"Have faith, Jack," Katrina whispered into his ear. "You will find a way to beat Jones at his own game and restore everything back to how it was before, including the Black Pearl."

Jack shook his head sadly. "How?"

Katrina gave her husband a light kiss on the cheek. "What do you mean 'how?' You're Jack Sparrow… _Captain_ Jack Sparrow."

Jack took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against Katrina's. "You're amazing, ye know that?"

Katrina gave a warm smile. "It's because I have you. I love you."

"I love you, too," Jack said before bringing his lips to passionately kiss her.

After a long heated moment, Katrina broke away.

"I'm sorry," she dropped her head as her hand instinctively went to her stomach.

"Don't be," Jack said lifting her chin so that she looked him in the eye. "We'll go sort this out with Tia Dalma first 'fore I finish this once and for all wi' Jones."

Katrina smiled at Jack weakly.

"Now, why don't you go ahead into the long boat, love," Jack kissed her lovingly on the forehead. "I'll be there in just a moment."

Katrina nodded, understanding he wanted to say good-bye to the Pearl by himself. She gave him another quick kiss on the lips before departing and going to the longboat.

As Will helped Katrina down into the boat before continuing to lower supplies from Gibbs, Elizabeth made her way over to Jack.

"Thank you, Jack," Elizabeth said from behind the pirate captain.

Jack turned around. "We're not free yet, love."

"You came back," Elizabeth ignored his statement as she stepped all the closer to him. "I always knew you were a good man."

Not allowing Jack to comment back, Elizabeth pressed her lips onto his. Jack immediately backed away, but to his disappointment Elizabeth moved with him. Jack grabbed her shoulders to separate her from himself.

"What are ye doin'?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth said softly, stepping forward which in turn caused Jack to take a step back. "I just wanted to…" Elizabeth paused as Jack found himself against the main mast, "thank you." Then before Jack could speak, Elizabeth pressed her lips to his again. Trying to stop Elizabeth, Jack began lifting his hands to grab her shoulders. However, only his right hand reached her shoulder.

"What?" Jack broke his lips from Elizabeth's as he looked to his left hand, chained to the mast. Then looking back up past Elizabeth, Jack saw Will trying to pull Katrina away as she continued to look over the deck at him and Elizabeth. Her eyes were red, her face wet from falling tears.

"Prepare to cast off! There's no time to lose!" Gibbs appeared at the ledge, truly forcing the two to lower back down into the boat. "Come on, Will, step to!"

"No!" Jack breathed.

"It's after you, not the ship," Elizabeth explained through tears. "It's not us. This is the only way, don't you see?"

Elizabeth then began to lean in as if to kiss Jack but stopped short as she said as strongly as she could, "I'm not sorry."

Jack forced a weak grin, knowing her logic to save herself and the others. "Pirate."

Elizabeth didn't say another word as she turned away from Jack and hurried down into the longboat.


	27. Her Jack

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Chapter 27**

**Her Jack**

"Where's Jack?" Will questioned Elizabeth bitterly, rubbing Katrina's back as she vomited over the side of the boat.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance," Elizabeth answered as calmly as she could.

"He what?" Katrina turned to Elizabeth angrily, before having to quickly turn back over the edge of the boat.

Elizabeth did her best to ignore her friend's question and instead looked to the uncertain crew and ordered, "Go!"

Marty obediently let go of the rope that held the longboat to the Pearl. Ragetti and Pintel then began rowing away from the ship.

"No! Wait!" Katrina finally had enough control over herself to sit up away from the ledge of the boat. "We can't leave Jack aboard the Pearl!"

Pintel and Ragetti stopped rowing, unsure of what to do.

"Jack!" Katrina stood up and began yelling to the ship. "Jack! Jack!"

----------

"Katrina!" Jack exhaled when he heard his wife calling out to him as he struggled to free his left hand. "I'm coming, darlin', I promise I'm trying to come t' you."

Jack then looked about him trying to figure out how he could free himself from the mast. As he looked over to his right, his eye caught sight of a lantern. Jack speedily pulled out his sword and hoisted the lantern up by the tip of his sword. He then smashed it against the mast, allowing the oil from it to completely cover his left hand.

"Come on… Come on," Jack groaned as he forced his hand to slide through the iron shackle.

----------

"Am I not the captain's wife?" Katrina snapped angrily at those in the boat with her, though seemed to be addressing the question more directly at Elizabeth. "I demand that we go back and get Jack!"

"No, we can't!" Elizabeth swiftly jumped in as Pintel was about to follow Katrina's orders.

"What do you mean we can't?" Katrina sneered as she brought herself face to face with Elizabeth. "What happened between you and my husband?"

Elizabeth tried to breathe calmly, unable to look Katrina in the eye.

"Well?" Katrina nearly growled.

Seeing that Katrina's right hand was making itself into a fist, Will came to her side and took up that hand into his.

"Katrina, it's not worth it," he whispered into her ear as he pulled her away from Elizabeth. "Just let it go."

"How can you say that?" Katrina whispered back as she looked into Will's eyes with great hurt. "You saw what happened!"

Will dropped his head for moment and took a deep breath.

"This just isn't the time nor place to fix this situation, Katrina," Will whispered again as he looked at her.

Katrina tried to say something back, but found herself completely choked by tears she didn't realize she was holding back. Within a moment she was crying into Will's chest, his arms wrapped around her in an effort to comfort her.

Suddenly a gasp came from Marty as he pointed to the Pearl. "Look, the Kraken is back!"

Sure enough the tips of the sea monster's tentacles were positioning themselves about the hull of the Pearl.

"We best hurry out of 'ere," Gibbs instructed to Ragetti and Pintel, who rapidly took up the oars and began rowing madly away from the Pearl.

"But Jack," Katrina whined, having lifted her head off of Will's chest to look at Gibbs.

Gibbs didn't know what to say and so remained silent, trying to look away from the captain's wife.

"Will?" Katrina looked up at the blacksmith that carefully held her. "Is there not anything we can do?"

Will shook his head sadly as he watched tears roll down her face. Before he could come up with anything to say, Katrina pulled away from him to lean over the edge of the boat yet again.

However, after a few minutes, a disturbance pushed the longboat one way and then back the other way.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked Marty, who was shakily pointing down at the water.

"Katrina get away from the edge," Will said worriedly as he pulled her to his side near the center of the longboat.

"It's the Kraken," Marty informed the others as he continued to point down at the tentacle in the water that went on rocking the boat one way and then the other way.

Pintel and Ragetti exchanged looks and agreed as they said in unison, "Faster!"

As fast as they could, the two pirates rowed the longboat until it was out of reach of the tentacle that was threatening to push them overboard.

"But I thought the Kraken was only after Jack," Elizabeth said to Gibbs in confusion as she looked over at the Pearl.

"Aye, so did I," Gibbs admitted, just as confused. "Thought the monster knew well the blood of its prey."

----------

As Jack freed his hand, he turned around and found himself face to face with the terrible beastie. Not sure of what to do at the moment, Jack found he didn't need an answer as the Kraken opened its mouth to give a loud roar, causing slime to fly out from within and cover Jack from head to toe. Among the slime that came out, Jack's hat made an appearance.

"Not so bad," Jack shrugged once the beast had stopped its roaring.

Taking his time in removing the slime from his face, Jack spotted his hat at his feet.

"Oh!" Jack nearly laughed as he took up his old hat.

He then removed the slime as best he could from it and then placed it on his head.

Once he was satisfied with his beloved hat's fitting, he turned his attention to the Kraken before him. "'ello, beastie."

The sea monster simply replied by opening its mouth, ready to devour both the Pearl and her captain. Jack pushed away all fear and pulled out his sword. Katrina was right, he would win and restore everything as before because he was Captain Jack Sparrow. Keeping this strong faith in his mind and heart, Jack charged at the Kraken.

----------

"No!" Katrina cried hysterically within Will's arms as she and those in the longboat watched the Pearl get taken down by the Kraken. "Jack! My Jack!"

"Now what?" Marty looked up to Gibbs.

As Katrina sobbed, she found herself feeling sick again and turned back over the edge of the boat. Will immediately began rubbing her back again as he helped hold her thick, curly hair out of her face.

"We travel upstream," Gibbs answered Marty as he eyed Katrina sadly. "Jack 'ad told me to take Katrina to Tia Dalma."

"Jack!" Katrina cried out again before another wave of her sick stomach came about. "My Jack!"


	28. An Unexpected Ending

**With Katrina**

**(Sequel to Including Katrina)**

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

**Author's Note:** All right, everyone… the final chapter!!! I know you have all been waiting anxiously for this… and here it is! Please review and let me know what you think… if you have any suggestions for this part or any other part of the story, I'd love to know, so please write to me!

Well, enough said… read and on and let me know what you think of the ending! Thank you all so much for your reviews! Truly it means a lot!!!

**Chapter 28**

**An Unexpected Ending**

"You 'ave returned," a warm voice came from the familiar shack's doorway. "But Jack is no longer wid you."

Mr. Gibbs was the first to climb out of the boat and looked sadly up at Tia Dalma. "Aye."

Will then helped Katrina out of the boat, a bucket now in her hands from her stomach sickness having grown much worse.

"Jack," she whined softly. "My Jack."

Will led her as best he could up to the shack. Once they reached the porch, Elizabeth, who was right behind them, saw that Katrina was far too weak and so helped Will walk her into the small house.

"Jack," Katrina went on, tears still somehow trickling down her face as Elizabeth held her up at her left side and Will at her right. The remainder of the Pearl's crew followed into the house after them.

It wasn't until they were a few steps into the shack that Katrina seemed to realize that Will and Elizabeth were helping her walk. She looked over at Elizabeth curiously at first before anger began to boil up within her.

"Unhand me!" Katrina pulled away from Elizabeth. "How dare you touch me after what you have done!"

"Katrina," Will tried to calm her. "Don't be like that."

Katrina turned to Will with just as much fire in her eyes.

"Let go of me! I don't need you!" Katrina pulled from Will so that she was standing on her own.

"Katrina," Will began gently as he held out his hand to her.

"No! Don't!" Katrina waved a finger at him threateningly. "You're just as bad as she is!"

"What?" Will asked in surprise with a bit of hurt when Katrina said this as she pointed at Elizabeth.

"Yes! You are just as bad as she is! You were the one that convinced the crew of the Pearl that Jack 'fell behind'! Remember?! You knew everyone would follow the Code of the Brethren! And so you abandoned Jack with Barbossa at Isle de Muerta!"

"But Will hardly knew Jack all that well at that time, how can you blame him?" Elizabeth spoke up in defense.

Katrina's eyes flashed with hatred when they reached Elizabeth's. "I can't believe you're defending him after what you've done!"

Elizabeth immediately shut her mouth and backed off.

"Will hardly knowing Jack! Am I not your friend? Did you not trust in my judgment and trust in Jack? Apparently your friendship with me… and trust in me, I might add… isn't worthy of--" Katrina abruptly stopped as she felt a huge wave of sickness coming upon her.

"Katrina," Will called out gently again as he helped her stand as she emptied her stomach into the bucket she held.

"Oh, de poor child," Tia gave a sad smile as she watched the argumentative scene finally come to an end.

"Actually, Tia Dalma," Gibbs approached the gypsy. "Before Jack was… well… he 'ad asked me t' bring Katrina to you. She's been wi' this stomach sickness since the day after we came t' visit ye last. He wanted to see if you could give 'er one o' your potions or somethin' so that she could be cured of 'er sickness."

Katrina finally straightened back up again, the sickness finally having left her. Tia Dalma simply smiled all the more as she looked upon the poor young woman as she leaned against Will.

"She is not sick," Tia Dalma said lovingly as she came up very close to Katrina.

"What do you mean she's not--"

Tia Dalma held up her hand to silence Gibbs before placing it upon Katrina's lower abdomen. "She is wid child. De child of Jack Sparrow."

"I'm what?" Katrina breathed in surprise, a small smile playing at her lips as she replaced Tia Dalma's hand on her abdomen with her own. "Am I truly…?"

The mystic simply nodded with a wide, happy grin.

Katrina's eyes spilled tears once again down on her face. She tried to hold her smile as she was so happy about what Tia Dalma had told her, but all she could think about was Jack… how he wasn't there with her and how he would never know the truth of her sickness. As the thoughts of Jack overwhelmed her, Katrina slowly melted down to the floor of the shack, her blue dress pooling around her, as she cried her heart out.

"Jack! Jack! My Jack!" Katrina cried out with all the strength that remained in her. "Jack! I need you, my Jack! My Jack!"

Those of the crew came around her and exchanged looks, not sure of what to do.

"How far along is she?" Elizabeth whispered to Tia Dalma as she was about to leave the room.

Tia Dalma placed a hand at Elizabeth's cheek, making her involuntarily shiver with that much more guilt in her heart. "'bout 'alfway t'rough 'er second mont'."

The gypsy then let go of Elizabeth and walked away.

"Do ye think this explains why the Kraken tried coming after us in the longboat?" Ragetti whispered to Gibbs and Pintel.

"Katrina," Will offered, ignoring the whispering of those around him as he got on his knees beside her, opening his arms up to her. "Come here, Katrina."

"No," Katrina snapped at the blacksmith as she choked on her tears. "I want Jack! I want my Jack!"

Not having much strength to resist Will's kind embrace, Katrina found herself crying into his chest once again as he rubbed her back, trying his best to comfort her.

"Jack! I love you, Jack! I need you, Jack!" Katrina cried into Will. "Jack, please! Jack! My Jack!"

It took several minutes of rocking her and rubbing her back, but Will eventually got Katrina to quiet down. He felt awful how everything had come to this. Such a noble lady like Katrina didn't deserve this. Sure, there was the wonderful news that she was pregnant, but she was now alone. And that poor child, now never being given the chance to know his own father, not even the smallest opportunity as he had had when he was a young boy.

"Here," Tia Dalma broke the silence as she reappeared with a tray full of mugs at Elizabeth's side. "Against de cold… and de sorrow."

Elizabeth, who was seated up on a stool, changed her gaze from the now softly crying Katrina in Will's arms up at Tia Dalma and then shook her head. The mystic didn't let Elizabeth refuse and instead pushed the tray closer until she finally accepted in taking one of the mugs.

"It's a shame," Tia Dalma said kindly to Will as she lowered the tray so he could take a mug. "I know you're t'inking dat wid de Pearl, you coulda captured de devil and set free your fadder's soul."

Will carefully placed two mugs on the floor at his side as he held Katrina tightly. "Doesn't matter now. The Pearl's gone. Along with its captain."

A loud sob came from Katrina upon hearing what Will said, her face still buried in his chest.

"Aye," Gibbs said slowly as he turned from looking out across the porch and walked back inside, a mug from Tia Dalma in his hand. "And already the world seems a bit less bright. He fooled us all right to the end. But I guess that honest streak finally won out."

Katrina removed her head to look over at Gibbs, her heart still aching.

"To Jack Sparrow!" Gibbs saluted with his mug.

"Never another like Captain Jack," Ragetti said sadly as he lifted up his mug.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was," Pintel added as he too lifted up his mug.

Katrina shakily took hold of one of the mugs beside Will and did her best to stand up, lifting her mug up as well. "He was a good man."

By this time, Will had stood up beside Katrina helping her to balance. As everyone nodded in agreement, they all lifted their mugs higher before taking a drink. That is, everyone but Elizabeth.

Once she had taken a drink, Katrina found herself falling apart all over again. Will placed both his mug and her mug on a nearby table before taking her up in his arms again.

"Oh, Katrina," he said tenderly, holding her close as she cried. "If there was anything that could be done to bring him back…"

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma spoke up suddenly, before looking to Elizabeth, "Hmm?"

Katrina stopped crying and turned within Will's embrace to look at the gypsy.

"What… would you? Hmm? What would any o' you be willing to do? Hmm? Would you sail to de ends o' de eart', and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious Pearl?"

"Aye," Katrina immediately answered.

"Aye," Gibbs nodded.

"Aye," Pintel admitted.

"Aye," Ragetti echoed.

"Awk! Aye," squawked Cotton's parrot for him.

"Yes," Elizabeth replied.

Will delayed his answer as he watched Elizabeth.

"Aye," the blacksmith finally whispered.

"All right," Tia Dalma grinned mischievously. "But if you're goin' brave de weird, and haunted shores, at world's end, den… you will need a captain who knows dose waters."

As the mystic finished saying this, the sound of heavy footsteps stole everyone's attention. The crew of the Pearl looked past Tia Dalma at the staircase. Katrina, who had wiggled out of Will's comforting hold, gasped and took hold of his hand when she saw who it was that had descended the stairs.

"So tell me," Barbossa said in a nonchalant manner as he took a bite of a green apple, his little monkey accompanying him on his shoulder. "What's become of my ship?"


End file.
